Five ways to increase employee engagement

• Dump merit increases and replace them with knowledge bonuses. An employee's tenure may just be an indication of how long you have been wasting money. The more they are engaged the industry/company their value increases and they should be paid accordingly.

• Have cross functional champions: Require people in accounting to know how to demo a product. Have some one in marketing become an expert in shipping. Mix it up, people will get to know each other better as wells a develop respect for other functions in the firm.

• Don't let people hide in company meetings. Tap two or more people to present at the next meeting. Provide the parameters such as allotted time, subject, etc. On the day of the meeting only select one person to present. At a minimum those who could have been called upon will be engaged and alert.

• Everyone loves to be center stage and have people view them as a resource. Give someone the responsibility of being  the "go to" person on a function of the business. To validate their expertise, management should go to this person for information and advice as well as peers.

• Go public with contributions. Post new sales in the conference room not just the sales office. Use a central whiteboard or high mounted monitor so everyone can see who makes it rain. Keep track of the sales that come from other departments as well. The same tactic can be used for other metrics like new knowledge added to the company wiki, customer satisfaction surveys, and more.