2026 is the new 2016 – have we really moved forward on engagement?

It’s 2026, and people can’t stop talking about 2016.

From the economy (we miss those low inflation rates) to TV (remember Orange is the New Black?), many online have the feeling that 2026 is a lot like 2016, but alittle bit worse.

But what about for HR professionals? On the surface, it feels like the ways we manage employee engagement must have seen huge improvements over the last 10 years… right?

Well, expectations around employee engagement have definitely gotten higher. 

Leaders are expected to listen more closely, respond more quickly, and create environments where people can perform at their best. Meanwhile, change, pressure, and uncertainty continue to rise.

But whether in 2016 or 2026, the challenge remains the same: how to turn your feedback into real results. 

Collecting feedback is not the same as using it

In 2016, many organizations were just beginning to use tools to measure feedback. In 2026, pulse surveys, engagement platforms, and dashboards are now standard practice.

But are you really seeing the impact of all that data?

You probably recognize this process. You gather feedback, review the results, but then the actions moving forward can feel unclear, slow, or disconnected from day-to-daywork. Over time, this creates frustration for employees and limits the value of even the best engagement initiatives.

For most companies, the issue in 2026 isn’t that they don’t have enough data, but it’sthat they don’t know what to do next.

So what’s the first step? Stop just collecting data, and start thinking about your engagement maturity. 

What the data tells us about maturity and performance

In our recent research we analyzed the feedback data of over 1000 companies, and found that maturity has a huge impact on performance. 

Lower-maturity organizations often collect similar data but fail to turn insight into outcomes. The result is limited impact and the sense that engagement efforts haven’t really evolved.

On the other hand, organizations with higher engagement maturity are able to connect engagement data with their existing business goals, and quickly implement actions that react to engagement trends before they impact performance.

For instance, in our data we saw that organizations with higher engagement maturity are able to harness their feedback to see improvements like:

→ 22.4% more employees encouraging their teammates to share ideas

→ 18.9% reporting that stress does not harm their work

→ 12.7% increase in trust in leadership

How can you understand your current engagement maturity?

For many in 2026, the world is feeling more uncertain than it did in the past.

As stress levels rise, it affects employees’ performance, engagement, and mental health, in and out of the workplace. So in times like these, companies need to not just listen, but act.

However, before launching new initiatives, it’s important to understand your current position:

→ What is your organization’s engagement maturity level?

→ How are employees feeling about your feedback efforts?

→ Are you tracking the connection between engagement and business outcomes?

To help answer these questions, we’ve designed a free evaluation to measure your engagement maturity. 

This quick test will help you understand your organization’s current level of employee listening maturity and identify opportunities for improvement.

Take the free engagement maturity test now: click here

Make 2026 better than 2016

While the world might feel more stressful than it did in 2016, that doesn’t mean the workplace has to be.

By listening to your employees, you can turn your organization into one where people feel they can engage with their work and pursue their professional ambitions. But to do that, you need to stop just collecting feedback and start acting on it. 2026 should be the year you take your data and use it intentionally to support engagement and achieve your business goals throughout the organization.

If you’re ready to learn more, start by taking our engagement maturity test, or by reading our latest report: Winning With Data: The Business Impact of Employee Feedback.