Turn up, tune in or drop out - are your people actually engaged?

Hybrid working is now the norm for most recruitment businesses. 

However, offices are much less buzzy than they used to be. This is not just because fewer people are present, but also because less business is conducted by phone. 

Who would answer an unknown number these days?!

That shift makes genuine team engagement harder to maintain than ever. And beyond some kind of annual survey, how do you really know if your people are engaged - or just clocking in?

The engagement masquerade

It’s easy to mistake activity for engagement. Calls made, meetings booked, tasks logged - these are all tracked as proof of commitment. 

This surface-level assessment misses the crucial difference between compliance and enthusiasm. Engaged consultants go beyond the checklist: they solve problems proactively, look for ways to exceed expectations, improve processes and take ownership of outcomes. 

Disengaged consultants, by contrast, do only what's required. They comply without curiosity, complete tasks without considering broader business objectives, and avoid stretching themselves. 

They turn up, but they don't truly show up.