Employee engagement isn’t just about ensuring your teammates are happy. It’s a critical advantage in today’s competitive work environment. When you are competing with other companies— whether it’s for sales or talent acquisition— it’s your people that can drive your business across the finish line.

Yesterday, Promotional Consultant Today started the week with three key myths about employee engagement. Today, we’ll share three more.

1. A job is just a job: Today’s workers have much greater expectations for work/life fulfillment than ever before. Employees fundamentally want and need more than a paycheck. A striking majority of workers have said they want to find purpose and meaning in the work they do, and that they feel happier at work when they know that what they do matters to the success of the organization.

2. Employees should be satisfied with their current position: High-performing people need to see a pathway for themselves in the role they own and in the company they work for. Engagement research shows that when people see a pathway for their growth and development they provide a higher-level of consistent results for the team. When employees feel that a company is invested in their growth, they are more committed to their role and more connected to how they impact the success of the company.

3. Your company is enough to keep the employee: The final myth is that people go to work for a company, and their loyalty to the company and its brand are enough to keep them engaged and retained. What has become painfully apparent over the past decade is that people don’t leave companies—they leave managers. When a good employee does not have a strong relationship with the manager, no incentive or brand loyalty will keep the employee fully engaged. People need to feel appreciated, respected, acknowledged and important; when their direct manager does not provide meaningful assignments, regular feedback and mentoring, engagement is thwarted.

While all of these perceived solutions are good ideas as components of an effective employee engagement program, alone they are insufficient means to drive employee connection and engagement. When carrots like money, time off, autonomy and career path are not coupled with alignment, good people management and “match fit,” those incentives wind up costing companies millions and derive little or no benefit in the long run.

A well thought out, conscious employee engagement program considers who people are as individuals, and allows for customization in the approach to assigning work and giving feedback. Individualization is a 21st century shift from the one-size-fits-all management of the ’80s. A main component of a well-built employee engagement program includes a highly competent management team that embraces coaching and mentoring people.

When a manager takes the time to offer professional development opportunities, communicate how the employee’s role contributes to the overall organizations success and rewards for great performance, employees feel valued and appreciated, and engagement soars.

Source: Magi Graziano, as seen on NBC, is a speaker, employee recruitment and engagement expert and author of The Wealth of Talent. She is also CEO of Conscious Hiring and Development®. Through her expansive knowledge and captivating presentations, Graziano provides her customers with actionable, practical ideas to maximize their effectiveness and ability to create high-performing teams. With more than 20 years’ experience as a top producer in the recruitment and search industry, she empowers and enables leaders to bring transformational thinking to their day-to-day operations.