Is the Employee Engagement Era Over? With Gianna Driver

In this thought-provoking episode of the Cohesion Podcast, Miriam Connaughton (Chief People Officer at Simpplr) sits down with Gianna Driver, Chief People Officer at Lattice. A serial CPO with deep experience in the tech sector, Gianna brings a fresh perspective to one of HR’s most persistent questions: how should we really be measuring employee experience and performance? With engagement scores stagnating for decades and workforces becoming more distributed and diverse, Gianna challenges conventional wisdom on employee engagement—and explores what might come next. Drawing on data, lived experience, and her people-first philosophy, she shares what she believes leaders should be measuring, and why metrics alone can fail to capture belonging, mental health, and true organizational health. From rethinking engagement surveys to navigating the risks and opportunities of AI in the workplace, this episode is packed with strategic insights and human nuance. If you’re reimagining how to support and measure your people in a hybrid, high-change world, this conversation is for you. Topics Covered: Why employee engagement scores have flatlined for 20 yearsWhat HR teams might measure instead of—or in addition to—engagementHow hybrid and remote work reshape connection and cultureThe generational shifts redefining what employees value mostInsights from the disengaged: what outliers can tell usBalancing AI, analytics, and human empathy in employee experienceMoving from individual-level fixes to systemic, structural solutions Connect with Gianna Driver: LinkedIn Subscribe to get the latest conversations on employee experience, change leadership, and internal communications.