In a world where the nature of work has been flipped upside down, one truth is rising to the surface: people don’t want to be simply engaged. They want to feel successful — empowered to make meaningful contributions, free of unnecessary friction, in a place where they belong.
At JobProfile, this shift is not a trend — it’s our DNA. We’re here to help organizations unlock the true potential of their people by moving beyond outdated engagement metrics and building cultures of enablement and success.
The engagement mirage
Organizations have spent decades trying to “engage” their employees — and what do we have to show for it?
According to Gallup’s global workplace data, engagement has barely moved the needle. Employees are still revolving in and out of companies, and workplace discontent is at an all-time high.
We’ve tried engagement. It didn’t work. So why not give something else a shot?
The pandemic shook the system and exposed how fragile our engagement frameworks really are. But let’s be honest: the cracks were already there. Leaders and HR departments have spent years misunderstanding what people actually need at work — or worse, focusing on gimmicks instead of real change.
Beer taps. Office dogs. Annual engagement surveys.
None of it touches the core of what makes people feel connected, empowered, and valued.
“Engaged” isn’t the goal — Success is
Employers focusing only on engagement alone is like having an electric vehicle with no energy, nor infrastructure or charging point. Companies must create the infrastructure and environment for employees to make the contribution they want to make.
It’s time to move beyond the illusion that perks and surface-level feedback can drive lasting fulfillment.
Employee success isn’t a buzzword — it’s about giving people the power and support to thrive.
At JobProfile, we define success as more than motivation — it’s the ability to make meaningful contributions without barriers. And it’s only possible when companies shift from engaging people to enabling them.
Enablement: the future of work
The difference between engagement and enablement is the difference between simply surviving and fully thriving.
Engagement = having a pulse.
Enablement = feeling fully alive in your work.
True enablement means giving people clarity, autonomy, and the right tools to succeed — while also stepping out of their way. In fact, research from Google’s Project Aristotle found that psychological safety and enablement are the most powerful drivers of team performance — not pizza parties or town halls.
When people are enabled, engagement happens naturally.
So let’s stop trying to make people like their work.
Let them do it, support them deeply, and celebrate them loudly.
The engagement trap: why it’s failing us
Organizations often confuse appeasement with empowerment. In doing so, they fall into the “engagement trap” — attempting to get people to care without giving them the means to succeed.
What’s worse, media narratives and social platforms exacerbate this trap by worshipping the wrong heroes.
CEOs are treated like visionaries — while the teams doing the work are barely acknowledged.
The contributions, sacrifices, and resilience of everyday employees are overlooked. Their lived reality — navigating broken systems, bearing invisible loads, powering growth — is ignored in favor of headlines about stock prices and “record quarters.”
It’s time to rewrite this narrative.
Publicly recognize your people. Celebrate their wins. Share their stories.
Let the media and corporate world start acknowledging the real fuel behind success: your people.
What’s blocking enablement?
Despite the growing awareness, most companies are still stuck. Why? Because enablement requires courage, humility, and organizational transformation.
Here are three of the biggest obstacles:
- Leadership readiness: Many leaders aren’t equipped — or willing — to truly let go and empower others.
- Structural rigidity: Legacy processes and outdated hierarchies block autonomy and clarity.
Lack of awareness: Employees themselves are still learning how to recognize and demand enablement from their workplaces.
How to build a culture of enablement
At Jobprofile, we believe that change starts small — but intentional. Here’s how to begin turning the flywheel of success:
- Start with teams: Socialize enablement ideas in pilot groups. Gather real feedback and make one meaningful tweak that frees people to work better.
- Lead differently: Rethink leadership as clearance officers — removing barriers, not controlling output.
- Refocus training: Equip teams with decision-making skills, adaptive leadership, and modern communication habits.
- Measure what matters: Shift KPIs from vague engagement scores to actual enablement indicators — clarity, access, collaboration, ownership.
Unblock contributors: Hunt down outdated processes, toxic norms, or “we’ve always done it this way” thinking. Remove what stands in the way.
From enablement comes true engagement
When people are enabled — truly seen, trusted, and free to succeed — engagement becomes a byproduct, not a target.
Yes, some still argue that engagement is tied to performance. But correlation is not causation. Engagement without enablement is hollow — a coat of paint over a crumbling wall.
Enablement is the infrastructure. The battery. The system. The belief.
When done right, it leads to:
- Smiling teams that don’t measure who did more.
- Transparent, honest conversations.
- Collective pride and commitment.
Sustainable performance that doesn’t burn people out.
Let’s make success the norm — Not the exception
When people are enabled — truly seen, trusted, and free to succeed — engagement becomes a byproduct, not a target.
Yes, some still argue that engagement is tied to performance. But correlation is not causation. Engagement without enablement is hollow — a coat of paint over a crumbling wall.
Enablement is the infrastructure. The battery. The system. The belief.
We’re not here to tweak the old models.
We’re here to transform them.
Let’s stop chasing engagement like it’s the finish line. Let’s build environments where employee success becomes the heartbeat of the business.
At Jobprofile, we help organizations reimagine work — so that people can belong, be seen, and succeed together.
