Best examples of employee engagement metrics examples for modern performance reviews

Practical examples of employee engagement metrics examples you can actually use

Let’s skip the theory and go straight to what most leaders want: examples of employee engagement metrics examples that work in real organizations. Below are core categories that show up consistently in high-performing companies, along with how to use them in performance reviews and leadership scorecards.

1. Engagement survey index scores (with real benchmarks)

Most organizations start with an engagement survey, but the best examples of employee engagement metrics don’t stop at a single overall score. They break engagement into specific drivers, then track them over time.

Common components of an engagement index include:

• Sense of purpose and alignment with company mission
• Relationship with manager
• Recognition and appreciation
• Growth and development opportunities
• Workload and well-being

A practical example of an employee engagement metric here is a composite engagement index built from 8–12 core questions, scored on a 0–100 scale. Many companies consider scores in the 70s as healthy and anything under 60 as a warning sign.

Gallup’s 2023 data shows that only about 23% of employees globally are engaged at work, with U.S. engagement hovering around 33% [Gallup, external]. That gives you a real-world benchmark: if your engagement index is significantly below one-third of employees in the “engaged” category, you have work to do.

How this ties to performance reviews:

• Managers can have a team engagement objective as part of their annual goals.
• Improvement in engagement index scores year-over-year becomes a measurable outcome.
• HR can highlight teams that consistently outperform engagement benchmarks for recognition and leadership development.

This is one of the most common examples of employee engagement metrics examples because it’s relatively easy to implement and compare across teams and years.

2. Voluntary turnover and regrettable loss rates

Turnover is not just an HR metric; it’s an engagement story. People rarely leave when they’re energized, supported, and growing.

Two powerful, concrete examples include:

• Voluntary turnover rate: Percentage of employees who choose to leave during a period.
• Regrettable loss rate: Percentage of high performers or critical roles that leave voluntarily.

A practical example of employee engagement metrics in this category:

• Company A tracks overall voluntary turnover at 14% and regrettable loss at 4%. HR flags any team above 6% regrettable loss as a high-risk engagement area.

Research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows consistently high quit rates in many sectors since 2021, driven partly by burnout and lack of flexibility [BLS.gov, external]. When your internal numbers are worse than industry norms, it’s a signal that engagement issues may be driving exits.

How to use this in performance reviews:

• Include retention of high performers as a metric in manager evaluations.
• Combine exit interview themes with turnover data to identify engagement red flags.
• Reward leaders who reduce regrettable loss without sacrificing performance.

This is a classic example of employee engagement metrics examples that translates directly into business impact and leadership accountability.

3. Internal mobility and promotion rates

Engaged employees tend to stay, grow, and move into new roles instead of leaving. That’s why internal mobility is one of the best examples of employee engagement metrics examples for organizations that care about development.

Useful metrics here include:

• Internal hire rate: Percentage of open roles filled by internal candidates.
• Lateral move rate: Percentage of employees making cross-functional moves.
• Time to promotion for high-potential employees.

A real example:

• Company B sets a target that at least 35% of non-entry-level roles are filled internally. When that number drops below 20% for a specific division, HR investigates whether employees feel blocked or underdeveloped.

LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report has consistently shown that employees who see good learning and growth opportunities are far more likely to stay with their employer [LinkedIn / Harvard references, external]. That makes internal mobility a strong proxy for engagement.

In performance reviews, this becomes:

• A metric for managers: percentage of team members with documented development plans and actual moves or stretch assignments.
• A talking point with employees: how their mobility goals align with business needs.

If you’re looking for examples of employee engagement metrics examples that encourage long-term thinking, this is one worth elevating.

4. Manager effectiveness scores as an engagement proxy

If you want one example of a metric that quietly predicts engagement, look at manager effectiveness. People don’t just quit companies—they quit managers.

Common manager-related engagement metrics include:

• “I would recommend my manager to others” scores
• “My manager cares about my well-being” scores
• “I receive useful feedback from my manager” scores

A practical example:

• Company C runs a quarterly pulse survey with 5 manager-specific questions, rolled up into a manager effectiveness index. Any manager scoring below 65/100 triggers a coaching and training plan.

Research from organizations like the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Gallup consistently links manager quality to engagement, burnout, and retention. When you correlate manager scores with turnover and performance, you often see clear patterns.

In performance reviews, this plays out as:

• A formal manager engagement score included in leadership evaluations.
• Required action plans for managers with low engagement-related scores.
• Recognition and promotion criteria that include strong manager-effectiveness metrics, not just business results.

Among the best examples of employee engagement metrics examples, manager effectiveness has the advantage of being directly actionable—improve management quality, and you usually see engagement follow.

5. Participation and follow-through on engagement initiatives

Measuring engagement isn’t just about how people feel; it’s also about what they actually do. Participation metrics show whether employees are opting into the culture you’re trying to build.

Useful examples include:

• Engagement survey response rate: Are people willing to share feedback?
• Participation in development programs: training, mentoring, leadership programs.
• Involvement in recognition programs: peer-to-peer recognition, shout-outs, or awards.

A concrete example:

• Company D tracks that 92% of employees complete the annual engagement survey, but only 38% participate in optional learning programs. They treat the high response rate as a sign of psychological safety, but the low learning participation as a signal that people may be overloaded or skeptical about development.

For performance reviews, this turns into:

• Manager goals around team participation in development or engagement initiatives.
• Recognition for teams that consistently show high participation and high performance.

This is another practical example of employee engagement metrics examples that can highlight where engagement is surface-level versus deeply embedded in behavior.

6. Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)

If you want a simple, comparable metric, eNPS is one of the best examples of employee engagement metrics examples that executives instantly understand. It’s based on a single question:

“How likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?” (0–10 scale)

Employees are grouped into:

• Promoters (9–10)
• Passives (7–8)
• Detractors (0–6)

The eNPS score is Promoters minus Detractors, giving a range from -100 to +100.

A real example:

• Company E tracks eNPS quarterly and by department. Company-wide, they hold at +32, but one division sits at -5. That division also has higher turnover and lower performance, reinforcing eNPS as an engagement warning sign.

While eNPS alone doesn’t tell you why employees feel the way they do, it’s an easy example of a metric that can be tied to leadership goals, bonus structures, and performance reviews.

7. Well-being, burnout, and workload indicators

Engagement in 2024–2025 is deeply tied to well-being. Employees are far more vocal about burnout, mental health, and work-life boundaries than they were a decade ago.

Relevant examples of employee engagement metrics examples in this space include:

• Self-reported burnout from pulse surveys
• Usage of employee assistance programs (EAPs) and mental health resources
• Sick days and unscheduled absence patterns
• Overtime and after-hours work metrics (especially for exempt employees)

Authoritative health organizations like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlight the connection between job stress, mental health, and performance [CDC/NIOSH, external]. When your engagement scores look fine but burnout indicators are rising, you’re likely seeing early warning signs.

In performance reviews:

• Senior leaders can be evaluated on reducing burnout indicators while maintaining results.
• Managers can be held accountable for realistic workload planning and respectful boundaries.

These are subtle but powerful examples of employee engagement metrics examples that keep you from chasing short-term productivity at the cost of long-term engagement.

8. Collaboration, inclusion, and voice metrics

Engagement is not just about individual satisfaction; it’s about whether people feel heard and included. That’s why many organizations now incorporate inclusion and voice into their engagement measurement.

Concrete examples include:

• Survey items like “My opinions count at work” or “I feel respected by my colleagues.”
• Participation rates in employee resource groups (ERGs).
• Number and impact of employee-generated ideas implemented (innovation or suggestion programs).

A real-world example:

• Company F tracks the percentage of employees who say they feel comfortable speaking up about problems. When that number dropped from 78% to 61% over two years, they linked it to a rise in errors and rework. Engagement and quality issues were clearly connected.

For performance reviews:

• Leaders can be evaluated on team inclusion scores and participation in ERGs or feedback channels.
• HR can highlight managers whose teams consistently report high levels of psychological safety.

These are some of the best examples of employee engagement metrics examples for organizations that care about long-term culture, not just short-term output.

How to choose the right examples of employee engagement metrics examples for your organization

With so many possible metrics, the real challenge is focus. You don’t need every example of engagement metric under the sun; you need a small set that connects clearly to your strategy.

A practical approach:

• Start with 3–5 core metrics (for example: engagement index, voluntary turnover, manager effectiveness, eNPS, and burnout indicators).
• Add 2–3 supporting metrics that matter for your context (internal mobility, inclusion scores, or participation in learning).
• Tie each metric to a specific owner (usually HR plus line leaders) and a visible action plan.

The strongest examples of employee engagement metrics examples share three traits:

• They are easy to explain to managers and employees.
• They correlate with business outcomes you care about (retention, performance, customer satisfaction).
• They drive real decisions—promotions, investments, training, and process changes.

If a metric doesn’t influence any decision, it’s just dashboard decoration.

FAQs about employee engagement metrics examples

Q1. What are some simple examples of employee engagement metrics examples for small companies?
Smaller organizations often start with a short engagement or pulse survey, eNPS, and basic turnover data. A lean setup might include: a 10–12 question survey twice a year, a single eNPS question quarterly, and voluntary turnover tracked by team. Those three together give you a solid example of a lightweight engagement measurement system.

Q2. What is an example of a leading vs. lagging engagement metric?
A leading example of an engagement metric would be manager effectiveness scores or burnout indicators—these tend to change before people actually quit. A lagging example is voluntary turnover or regrettable loss, which shows you the impact after engagement has already dropped. The best examples of employee engagement metrics examples usually combine both.

Q3. How often should we review these examples of employee engagement metrics examples?
Most organizations review core engagement metrics at least quarterly, with deep dives annually as part of strategic planning and performance reviews. Pulse metrics like eNPS or burnout can be checked monthly or quarterly, as long as you have a clear plan for responding to feedback.

Q4. Can engagement metrics be tied to manager bonuses or incentives?
Yes, and many organizations do exactly that. A common approach is to include engagement-related metrics—like engagement index improvement, eNPS, or retention of high performers—as a modest but visible portion of variable pay for managers. This reinforces that engagement is not a side project; it’s part of how leadership is evaluated.

Q5. What is an example of misusing employee engagement metrics?
A classic bad example of usage is when leaders focus on pushing survey scores up without addressing underlying issues—pressuring employees to answer positively or ignoring anonymous comments. Another misstep is tracking too many metrics without acting on any of them. If people keep giving feedback and never see changes, engagement usually drops further.

If you treat these as living, working examples of employee engagement metrics examples—not just numbers to report—you’ll have a far better shot at building a workplace where people actually want to stay, grow, and perform.