Last week I was in Chicago, speaking with leaders at the National Association of Convenience Stores. One statistic stuck with me.
In many parts of the industry, annual employee turnover is 100% or more.
I didn’t have time to fully unpack this in my keynote, which focused on customer experience. But I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Because if you’re trying to figure out how to improve employee engagement—especially in high-turnover roles—you can’t rely on the same strategies most companies default to.
Now, hopefully your business doesn’t look like that.
But whether your turnover is 10% or 100%, one thing is true. Your customer experience is shaped in real time by how confident, supported, and empowered your employees feel.
We often focus on the big levers. Compensation. Benefits. Scheduling. Flexibility. Those things matter. But they aren’t always easy to change overnight.
What is within your control is how the job itself feels.
And when the job feels more engaging, more meaningful, and more connected to something bigger, everything improves. The employee experience improves. The customer experience improves. And so do the results.
Here are two simple ways to improve employee engagement—no matter your industry.
1. Empower employees to create small moments of delight
When turnover is high, many organizations respond by adding more control. More rules. Additional approvals. Less flexibility.
But that often removes what makes a job enjoyable. The ability to think, act, and make a small difference.
Most people don’t want to feel like they’re just completing tasks. They want to feel ownership. They want to know their actions matter.
One of the simplest ways to improve employee engagement is to give people permission to make small decisions that improve the customer experience.
This doesn’t mean removing structure. It means setting clear guardrails, then trusting your team to operate within them.
I saw a great example of this earlier this year when I spoke to Merry Maids franchise owners. Their teams use small “gifting kits” and are trained to notice details in a customer’s home. If they see a dog, they might leave treats. If they notice a child, maybe it’s a coloring book or small toy. They tailor the moment based on what they observe.
It’s simple, but it changes everything.
Now employees aren’t just completing a checklist. They’re paying attention, thinking creatively, and looking for ways to create a moment.
And it’s easy to imagine how much more enjoyable that makes the job.
This idea works in any industry.
Maybe it’s letting an employee comp a small purchase for someone having a rough day. Maybe it’s encouraging them to recognize a regular by name. Or giving them the freedom to go slightly above and beyond without approval.
If a customer comes in for a fountain drink under $2, let them have it for free occasionally. Don’t advertise it. Don’t turn it into a campaign. Let it feel like a thoughtful, unexpected moment.
Those moments don’t just impact customers. They change how employees experience their role.
When people are empowered to create better experiences, they take pride in their work.
2. Help employees understand how the business actually works
Another issue I often see with engagement —especially in frontline roles—is the lack of context employees are given about the business they’re part of.
We train people on what to do, but we rarely explain why it matters.
I was talking to a friend who works as an office manager for a commercial baking company. They produce products for major brands, from buns to pastries. Out of curiosity, I asked which products were performing best. She had no idea, but not because she wasn’t capable. No one had ever shared that information with her.
That kind of disconnect is more common than you think.
When employees don’t understand what drives the business, it’s hard to feel invested. But when you give people that context, something shifts.
They begin to connect their actions to outcomes. They start to see patterns. Their work starts to feel more meaningful.
Most importantly, they may discover a part of the business they want to grow into. They begin to see a future for themselves within your company.
You can also pay attention to what employees are curious about. Then lean into it.
The cashier who notices product packaging might have ideas about design. The employee asking about pricing might be interested in margins.
Those small signals can tell you where someone wants to grow. And when people can see a path—even an informal one—they’re more likely to stay.
In convenience retail, this might mean explaining which products drive the highest margins or how gas prices are set.
In real estate, it might mean helping administrative staff understand market trends. What’s driving demand? How do interest rates affect buyers? Why do certain listings move faster?
Across any industry, the idea is the same. When employees understand how the business works—and why what they do matters—they’re far more likely to feel engaged.
That visibility builds confidence and sparks curiosity. It helps people see their work as more than a set of tasks.
Final Thoughts on Improving Employee Engagement
When you combine these two ideas—empowerment and understanding—you create an environment where engagement becomes natural.
Employees feel more confident. They feel more invested. And your customers can feel that immediately.
Because no matter your industry, the experience is shaped by the people delivering it—and the environment you create to support them.
And that’s how you improve employee engagement in a way that actually lasts.
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