Mar 6, 2025
Beyond the Ping-Pong Table: How Companies Can Build a Culture of Engagement in Small Teams
Upeka Bee
Genuine employee engagement runs deeper than ping-pong tables and casual Fridays. Perks may add a fun touch, but they don’t drive long-term workplace satisfaction, retention, or productivity.
Gallup found that only 33% of U.S. employees were engaged in their work in 2023, a decline from previous years. Yet companies with highly engaged teams see 23% higher profitability, highlighting the real business impact of a positive employee experience.
For small businesses, every role carries significant weight, making disengagement more disruptive. Unlike large corporations that can lean on expansive benefits, small teams must take a different approach—one that emphasizes culture, purpose, and connection over surface-level incentives.
So how do you move beyond perks and build lasting engagement? The key lies in hiring, onboarding, and everyday workplace habits that create a culture where employees want to stay and succeed.
Let’s dive into employee engagement strategies that create a thriving workplace.
Hire for Culture, Not Just Skills
Hiring for culture means going beyond degrees and technical skills. By taking the time to find employees who align with your company values, mission, and workplace culture, you set yourself up for building a team that lasts. In a small team, every new hire has an outsized impact on team dynamics, making cultural fit just as important as technical ability.
Employees who align with your company’s values, mission, and ways of working are more likely to be engaged, productive, and stay for the long haul—and this trickles from the top down.
McKinsey's 2024 report on the shape of talent emphasizes how great managers can make or break employee engagement and productivity. It urges companies to invest in their managers and shows that when leaders actively support company values, teams are more motivated, aligned, and committed.
Let’s explore some practical strategies you can implement to intentionally hire for culture fit.
Five Practical Ways to Hire for Culture Fit
Define Your Company Values Clearly
If you don’t know what you stand for, neither will your employees.
Have your core values and workplace expectations visible for all to see, and ensure they guide your hiring decisions.
Use Culture-Focused Interview Questions
To go beyond technical skills, ask questions that reveal how candidates think, collaborate, and problem-solve.
Example questions:
“What kind of work environment helps you do your best work?”
“Describe a team dynamic that didn’t work for you. Why?”
“Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a major change at work.”
Assess Soft Skills and Work Style
Small teams need people who can communicate well, take initiative, and adapt quickly.
Have candidates complete a test project or collaborate on a mock task to see their working style in action.
Involve the Team in Hiring
Culture is more than having good leadership. It’s about creating a collaborative team dynamic.
Have potential hires meet multiple team members to assess compatibility before making a decision.
Look for Value Alignment, Not Just Personality Fit
Culture fit isn’t about hiring people who are all alike—it’s about shared values with diverse perspectives.
Make sure the candidate aligns with your mission and goals while also bringing new ideas and experiences to the team.
Hiring the right people is only the first step—onboarding sets the tone for employee engagement and retention. Nearly one-third of new hires leave their jobs within the first six months, which underscores the importance of a structured onboarding process to enhance employee engagement and reduce turnover.
Onboarding: Setting the Foundation for Engagement From Day One
Assign a mentor or buddy – Someone they can turn to for quick questions and guidance.
Make expectations clear – Define success in their role and how they contribute to the team.
Encourage early wins – Give them meaningful, small projects to build confidence quickly.
Check in regularly – Frequent feedback and open communication help build long-term engagement.
But engagement doesn’t stop after onboarding. The next challenge is ensuring employees feel connected and motivated for the long term.
How to Build a Connected and Motivated Small Team
On her first day at a small startup, Maya was excited to take on a new challenge. She loved the company’s mission and was eager to contribute. But within a few weeks, something felt off. No one explained how her work fit into the bigger picture, and she wasn’t sure who to turn to with questions. By her 90-day review, she was already considering other opportunities.
Maya’s experience isn’t unique. In small teams, every person plays a critical role, and communication gaps or unclear expectations can quickly lead to disengagement. However, small businesses also have the advantage of closeness and agility with lean teams, making it easier to develop a culture where employees feel connected and valued.
Encourage Collaboration Across Roles
Cross-functional teamwork helps employees see the bigger picture and understand how their work contributes to company goals. Encouraging team members to take on varied responsibilities strengthens relationships, fosters innovation, and keeps engagement high.
Make Communication Transparent and Frequent
Employees don’t need to know every operational detail, but they do need clarity on company priorities and how their efforts fit in. Regular check-ins, open feedback loops, and leadership accessibility help employees feel supported and engaged.
Recognize Contributions in a Meaningful Way
People want to know their work matters. While bonuses and perks can be great motivators, frequent, specific recognition—whether in a meeting or a personal note—can be just as powerful for boosting workplace satisfaction.
When communication, teamwork, and recognition become everyday habits, engagement isn’t something businesses have to chase—it happens by osmosis. Employees absorb the culture around them, picking up on how leadership communicates, how teams collaborate, and how contributions are valued. The more engagement is woven into daily interactions, the more it becomes second nature.
Sustaining engagement isn’t about adding more processes—it’s about consistency. Small teams have the advantage of flexibility, making it easier to embed engagement into the everyday rhythm of work. When employees see that communication, recognition, and collaboration aren’t occasional efforts but ongoing expectations, they’re more likely to stay invested.
Over time, engagement becomes less about management-driven initiatives and more about a workplace where people feel connected, motivated, and empowered to do their best work.
At DianaHR, we believe that work empowers a better life, and we’re on a mission to support entrepreneurship. Our team partners with small and medium-sized businesses to support busy owners and operators by taking HR and people operations off their plates.
Genuine employee engagement runs deeper than ping-pong tables and casual Fridays. Perks may add a fun touch, but they don’t drive long-term workplace satisfaction, retention, or productivity.
Gallup found that only 33% of U.S. employees were engaged in their work in 2023, a decline from previous years. Yet companies with highly engaged teams see 23% higher profitability, highlighting the real business impact of a positive employee experience.
For small businesses, every role carries significant weight, making disengagement more disruptive. Unlike large corporations that can lean on expansive benefits, small teams must take a different approach—one that emphasizes culture, purpose, and connection over surface-level incentives.
So how do you move beyond perks and build lasting engagement? The key lies in hiring, onboarding, and everyday workplace habits that create a culture where employees want to stay and succeed.
Let’s dive into employee engagement strategies that create a thriving workplace.
Hire for Culture, Not Just Skills
Hiring for culture means going beyond degrees and technical skills. By taking the time to find employees who align with your company values, mission, and workplace culture, you set yourself up for building a team that lasts. In a small team, every new hire has an outsized impact on team dynamics, making cultural fit just as important as technical ability.
Employees who align with your company’s values, mission, and ways of working are more likely to be engaged, productive, and stay for the long haul—and this trickles from the top down.
McKinsey's 2024 report on the shape of talent emphasizes how great managers can make or break employee engagement and productivity. It urges companies to invest in their managers and shows that when leaders actively support company values, teams are more motivated, aligned, and committed.
Let’s explore some practical strategies you can implement to intentionally hire for culture fit.
Five Practical Ways to Hire for Culture Fit
Define Your Company Values Clearly
If you don’t know what you stand for, neither will your employees.
Have your core values and workplace expectations visible for all to see, and ensure they guide your hiring decisions.
Use Culture-Focused Interview Questions
To go beyond technical skills, ask questions that reveal how candidates think, collaborate, and problem-solve.
Example questions:
“What kind of work environment helps you do your best work?”
“Describe a team dynamic that didn’t work for you. Why?”
“Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a major change at work.”
Assess Soft Skills and Work Style
Small teams need people who can communicate well, take initiative, and adapt quickly.
Have candidates complete a test project or collaborate on a mock task to see their working style in action.
Involve the Team in Hiring
Culture is more than having good leadership. It’s about creating a collaborative team dynamic.
Have potential hires meet multiple team members to assess compatibility before making a decision.
Look for Value Alignment, Not Just Personality Fit
Culture fit isn’t about hiring people who are all alike—it’s about shared values with diverse perspectives.
Make sure the candidate aligns with your mission and goals while also bringing new ideas and experiences to the team.
Hiring the right people is only the first step—onboarding sets the tone for employee engagement and retention. Nearly one-third of new hires leave their jobs within the first six months, which underscores the importance of a structured onboarding process to enhance employee engagement and reduce turnover.
Onboarding: Setting the Foundation for Engagement From Day One
Assign a mentor or buddy – Someone they can turn to for quick questions and guidance.
Make expectations clear – Define success in their role and how they contribute to the team.
Encourage early wins – Give them meaningful, small projects to build confidence quickly.
Check in regularly – Frequent feedback and open communication help build long-term engagement.
But engagement doesn’t stop after onboarding. The next challenge is ensuring employees feel connected and motivated for the long term.
How to Build a Connected and Motivated Small Team
On her first day at a small startup, Maya was excited to take on a new challenge. She loved the company’s mission and was eager to contribute. But within a few weeks, something felt off. No one explained how her work fit into the bigger picture, and she wasn’t sure who to turn to with questions. By her 90-day review, she was already considering other opportunities.
Maya’s experience isn’t unique. In small teams, every person plays a critical role, and communication gaps or unclear expectations can quickly lead to disengagement. However, small businesses also have the advantage of closeness and agility with lean teams, making it easier to develop a culture where employees feel connected and valued.
Encourage Collaboration Across Roles
Cross-functional teamwork helps employees see the bigger picture and understand how their work contributes to company goals. Encouraging team members to take on varied responsibilities strengthens relationships, fosters innovation, and keeps engagement high.
Make Communication Transparent and Frequent
Employees don’t need to know every operational detail, but they do need clarity on company priorities and how their efforts fit in. Regular check-ins, open feedback loops, and leadership accessibility help employees feel supported and engaged.
Recognize Contributions in a Meaningful Way
People want to know their work matters. While bonuses and perks can be great motivators, frequent, specific recognition—whether in a meeting or a personal note—can be just as powerful for boosting workplace satisfaction.
When communication, teamwork, and recognition become everyday habits, engagement isn’t something businesses have to chase—it happens by osmosis. Employees absorb the culture around them, picking up on how leadership communicates, how teams collaborate, and how contributions are valued. The more engagement is woven into daily interactions, the more it becomes second nature.
Sustaining engagement isn’t about adding more processes—it’s about consistency. Small teams have the advantage of flexibility, making it easier to embed engagement into the everyday rhythm of work. When employees see that communication, recognition, and collaboration aren’t occasional efforts but ongoing expectations, they’re more likely to stay invested.
Over time, engagement becomes less about management-driven initiatives and more about a workplace where people feel connected, motivated, and empowered to do their best work.
At DianaHR, we believe that work empowers a better life, and we’re on a mission to support entrepreneurship. Our team partners with small and medium-sized businesses to support busy owners and operators by taking HR and people operations off their plates.
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