Kris Erickson on the Truth About Employee Engagement

About this episode

Kris Erickson discusses the true meaning of employee engagement and its impact on productivity and fulfillment at work.

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Kris Erickson, cofounder of Workforce Science Associates and author of The Enduring Impact: The Art and Science of Crafting an Exceptional Employee Experience, to explore what engagement at work truly means and why it shapes far more than productivity. Drawing on 30 years of research and one of the largest global employee feedback databases, Kris explains how trust, purpose, and leadership alignment determine whether people thrive or quietly disengage. Kris shares the personal turning point that pushed her to pursue meaningful work, including a moment when she had only 85 cents for gas and decided she needed a different future for herself and her son. From there, the conversation moves into the real drivers of engagement: leaders who clearly answer three essential questions. Where are we headed. Why are we going there. What does this mean for you. When leaders communicate with clarity and consistency, teams feel steadier even in uncertain times. Joe and Kris also tackle what happens when trust breaks in seconds after taking years to build, why middle managers serve as the linchpin between senior…

People in this episode

Host: Joe Pardavila

Guest: Kris Erickson

Topics covered

• employee engagement
• leadership
• trust
• workplace culture
• productivity
• meaningful work

Keywords

• employee engagement
• leadership alignment
• trust
• workplace fulfillment
• engagement surveys

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Workforce Science Associates

Books & works: The Enduring Impact: The Art and Science of Crafting an Exceptional Employee Experience

More episodes of The Authority Company

• Why High Achievers Feel Lost After Success | Brad Lekang · June 10, 2026 · 35 min
• Tyrone R. Johnson: Why Founders Struggle After Selling to Private Equity · June 8, 2026 · 39 min
• Gary Zammit | AI, Medicine, and the Future of Drug Development · June 3, 2026 · 32 min
• Rick K. Jones: Why Most Businesses Get Profit and Purpose Wrong · June 1, 2026 · 32 min
• How Haley Barber Built RDV NINES, The Patented Hat Solving Acne & Dirty Hats · May 27, 2026 · 31 min
• Randy L. Thurman | The Biggest Retirement Mistakes People Make (And How to Avoid Them) · May 20, 2026 · 32 min