Why Traditional Engagement Strategies Aren’t Moving the Needle

New research reveals gaps in visibility, coaching, and accountability across frontline banking teams

A recent SeeEverything study explores why many financial institutions continue to struggle with employee engagement — despite increased investment in well-being programs, surveys, and digital-first initiatives. The findings suggest that without consistent visibility into behaviours and effective coaching systems, traditional methods fall short of delivering lasting impact.

“If an employee isn’t engaged, that shows up in every customer interaction,” said Jim Bywater, SVP at SeeEverything. “And it’s not just about morale — disengagement undermines digital transformation and weakens culture. Most institutions admit that their biggest challenge isn’t the technology. It’s bringing people along.”

Key Findings from the Study:

• Employee engagement drives retention and CX
  • 94% of bankers said engaged employees deliver better customer experiences
  • 88% said engaged employees are more likely to stay
• Limited visibility into customer and manager interactions
  • 60% rated visibility into frontline behaviours as low
  • Over 50% reported inconsistent or insufficient insight into manager-banker interactions
• Harder methods drive better results — but are underused
  • Observational coaching and behavioural accountability have the most impact, yet are least used
  • Voice of Employee surveys remain the most common approach — largely due to ease of implementation
• Existing coaching tools aren’t linked to performance
  • Over 50% of respondents said their current coaching solutions fail to connect coaching with measurable outcomes

SeeEverything’s platform addresses these gaps by embedding structured coaching, behavioural visibility, and frontline accountability into everyday workflows — enabling institutions to move beyond surface-level engagement strategies.

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