I’ve been seeing a lot of hype around how AI is the ultimate solution for improving employee experience and engagement.

While AI holds incredible potential, it’s easy for organizations to lean too far on the tech side, overlooking the essential role of genuine human connection.

It’s like planting a veggie garden and thinking,

“Mother Nature’s got this—I can sit back and watch the magic happen.” But we often forget that we are the magic in this ecosystem sandwich, nurturing, watering, and tending to the plants.

Without that human touch, the garden just doesn’t thrive the way it could.

The excitement about AI’s capabilities in HR and engagement is understandable—technology offers valuable tools for identifying trends, spotting issues, and creating efficiencies.

 But despite these advancements, there's one critical factor AI can’t replicate: the nuance, empathy, and trust-building only a skilled leader can bring. With the right mix of human insight supported by AI, companies can achieve a more genuine, effective employee experience than surveys alone could ever provide.

In my experience leading employee engagement programs, I’ve seen firsthand how surveys can easily devolve into compliance exercises or, worse, popularity contests.

Often, they become about scoring and benchmarking, with leaders defending low scores or celebrating high ones, sometimes without digging into what the numbers reveal about the real employee experience. AI can add significant value to this process—if it’s viewed as a tool for fostering ongoing, authentic dialogue rather than a replacement for it.

Here’s a deeper look at how we can balance the use of AI in employee engagement with a more human-led approach.

The Limits of Employee Engagement Surveys

The traditional employee engagement survey, sent out every few months, is often structured to aggregate and benchmark responses across the organization. This approach has its merits, but it can also create a warped view of reality.

Employees sometimes hold back their full perspective, concerned about how their responses reflect on their team or manager, or they may give superficial answers, feeling their input won’t lead to real change. As a result, engagement surveys often end up painting a safe, neutral picture rather than a meaningful one.

In a recent Gallup study, companies with engaged employees outperform competitors by 23% in profitability. Yet, a 2023 Deloitte report highlights that over 60% of employees feel these surveys lack follow-through on action plans.

Many workers feel they’re just contributing to another data set rather than initiating change. Engagement surveys can be valuable but only as one part of an ongoing, human-led process of understanding and improving employee experience.

The Human Element: Essential for Real Change

People want their voices heard by leaders who genuinely listen and respond. It’s not about the survey metrics but about creating an environment where continuous feedback is valued, where concerns and ideas can be openly shared, and where leaders are responsive to the feedback they receive.

That’s why I’ve always advocated for team-led engagement—small, frequent pulse checks led by team leaders who then take concrete, visible actions.

For instance, I advocate for check-ins every 2–4 weeks with questions like:

• What activities did you enjoy last week?

• What did you find frustrating or challenging?

• What are your priorities this week?

• Where do you need support?

The power of these questions lies in their simplicity and frequency. They provide a continuous pulse, giving managers a current view of the team's morale and challenges, allowing for real-time adjustments.

This approach aligns with research from the Employee Experience Institute, which found that companies implementing bi-weekly pulse surveys saw a 40% improvement in retention.

 How AI Can Add to This Process

AI tools can add significant value to these pulse check-ins, supporting—not replacing—the human leader. For instance:

1. Pattern Recognition and Sentiment Analysis: AI-driven platforms can process hundreds of comments, identifying themes and sentiment trends to provide insights managers may miss. For example, Workday’s Peakon platform uses AI to provide real-time analytics on employee sentiment, revealing patterns that leaders can act on immediately.

2. Automated Follow-Ups and Accountability: Tools like Glint allow managers to set automated follow-up actions based on employee feedback, escalating unresolved issues up the chain. This builds accountability into the engagement process, ensuring that no concern goes unnoticed.

3. Continuous Insights for Development: Platforms like Qualtrics use machine learning to aggregate and interpret data, offering targeted insights on what actions are working. A study by Qualtrics showed that teams using AI-based analytics for engagement saw a 26% increase in employee satisfaction by focusing on action-driven insights.

Real-World Examples of Effective AI Integration

Some companies are already blending AI with human engagement efforts in innovative ways:

• Microsoft: Microsoft uses an AI-driven employee engagement platform that categorizes feedback into actionable areas, alerting managers to trends and providing recommended actions. Managers remain the central players, using AI to stay attuned to team needs in real-time.

• Unilever: Unilever applies AI to its pulse check-ins, leveraging algorithms that identify engagement hotspots and flag areas for immediate manager intervention. This empowers managers to be proactive in creating a positive experience, supported by AI-driven insights.

 Building a New Engagement Approach

At the core, the human factor in employee engagement should remain irreplaceable. Here are strategies to build an AI-enhanced, human-led employee experience:

1. Make Feedback Continuous: Instead of viewing employee engagement as a quarterly task, embed it as a continuous, responsive conversation. Use AI to track engagement and identify themes, but have managers lead in taking action.

2. Prioritize Transparency: Transparency and follow-through are essential for trust. Allow employees to see how their feedback has been used and the changes it initiates, encouraging them to participate openly.

3. Focus on the Manager’s Role: Encourage managers to use AI tools as a support system, allowing them to keep track of ongoing feedback but stepping in personally to interpret, act on, and communicate changes.

Moving Beyond the Popularity Contest

An employee experience driven by human insight, strengthened by AI data, has the potential to transform company culture. AI can process vast amounts of data, but leaders are needed to shape and act on it. Employees don’t just want surveys; they want leaders who listen, respond, and invest in their well-being. In the end, it’s not about being a popular manager; it’s about being a committed one, showing employees that their input matters and that the organization is willing to grow and adapt to their needs.

By redefining engagement as a continuous, manager-led initiative supported by AI, we’re moving beyond score-chasing to foster a culture of authenticity, responsiveness, and growth—where employees feel genuinely valued, and leaders become champions of their team’s experience.