Employee Recognition is STILL Important
The recession is pretty much over according to most economists. This means engaging your employees isn't as 
important since morale (theoretically) should be higher with better conditions. Not necessarily.
Several blog posts of late have discussed how employee morale is at an all-time low (EEA reports is staying steady). Just because the economy seems to gradually be getting back on track doesn't necessarily mean that employee motivation is on the rise as well. Satisfaction rates are down below 50%, which means a lot of workers want to jump ship at the next opportunity.
Why is this? Many companies have had to make cut backs, whether that be salary, staff, or a combination of the two. It's not that other companies employees might move to haven't done the same, it's the fact that your employee didn't go through that experience with them like they did you. So how do you accomplish engagement?
It's not just about money. In this blog post by Paul Hebert, he states the power of a thank you. Sending thank you's or verbal pats on the back are key to recognizing employees. Giving them a raise won't always cut it. People are more inclined to work somewhere that they feel needed and where their work has a purpose. Transparency on what the company is doing and why they are doing it makes workers feel more connected to the company and to what they do every day.
There are several other ways to improve retention and further engage employees...what are some from you all - the readers? Is engagement more important now than in the past?