Come trattenere e coinvolgere i vostri dipendenti di lunga data

In every organization, there are those who’ve stayed through the highs and lows—individuals who’ve built deep institutional knowledge, mentored peers, and helped shape the company culture. These are your tenured employees, and their presence is a sign of trust, loyalty, and stability. But while they may be long-standing, keeping tenured employees engaged remains a unique challenge.

Surprisingly, studies show that long-tenured employees are often at a greater risk of disengagement than their newer counterparts. Over time, their contributions may become expected, their voices less heard, and their motivation harder to sustain. That’s why organizations must take proactive steps to celebrate, develop, and retain them—not just through compensation, but through meaningful recognition, growth opportunities, and a renewed sense of purpose.

In this blog, we’ll explore why tenured employees are vital to your business success and share actionable strategies for ensuring they remain enthusiastic, valued, and committed for years to come.

Who are long tenured employees?

Un dipendente di ruolo è quello che fa parte di un'azienda o di un'organizzazione da un periodo di tempo significativo. Tra questi, i dipendenti di lunga data sono quelli che lavorano in un'azienda da più di cinque anni, mentre i dipendenti di breve data lavorano nell'organizzazione da meno di cinque anni.

The need to retaining your long tenured employees

La fidelizzazione dei dipendenti è importante per le organizzazioni, poiché sostituire i talenti, soprattutto quelli più produttivi, costa denaro e tempo. La necessità di disporre del capitale intellettuale e della saggezza dei dipendenti di lunga data diventa evidente nei momenti di cambiamento aziendale, come le acquisizioni e le fusioni.

I dipendenti di lunga data che conoscono ogni dettaglio dell'organizzazione agiscono da ammortizzatori contro lo shock del cambiamento, rendendolo più fluido. Sono in grado di mantenere il flusso di lavoro e la coerenza totale dei risultati dell'organizzazione, cosa che i nuovi dipendenti difficilmente potranno fare. In quanto patrimonio essenziale per qualsiasi organizzazione, i dipendenti di lunga data offrono i seguenti vantaggi:

• Forniscono una solida base di conoscenza della cultura, dei prodotti e dei servizi dell'organizzazione.
• Sono un sistema di supporto indispensabile per i nuovi dipendenti.
• La loro presenza è indice di stabilità nell'organizzazione, il che aumenta la proposta di valore per i dipendenti.
• Conservare i dipendenti di valore è più conveniente che acquisirne di nuovi.

What does it mean to engage tenured employees?

Il coinvolgimento dei dipendenti è l'entusiasmo e l'impegno dei dipendenti nei confronti del loro lavoro e del luogo di lavoro. Per definizione, quindi, un dipendente di ruolo e molto apprezzato dovrebbe essere anche molto impegnato per arrivare fino a quel punto. Tuttavia, la realtà è piuttosto controintuitiva.

Secondo un'indagine condotta da Gallup, i dipendenti con la più lunga anzianità di servizio tendono a essere i meno impegnati. Lo studio ha anche evidenziato che più lunga è la permanenza, più è probabile che i dipendenti siano attivamente disimpegnati. In compenso, i dati di Gallup suggeriscono che i dipendenti ad alto rendimento hanno tre cose in comune:

• Il loro mandato è durato più di un decennio.
• Si sono impegnati a fondo nei loro ruoli.
• I loro ruoli e i loro talenti naturali erano allineati.

Role of appreciation in tenured employee engagement and retention

Over time, even the most loyal and high-performing employees can start to feel overlooked. Their consistent output, reliability, and depth of experience may begin to fade into the background, especially as newer team members demand more visible onboarding attention. That’s why appreciation is not just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic necessity for retaining tenured talent.

Appreciation goes beyond annual performance reviews and compensation hikes. For long-tenured employees, it’s about being recognized for the legacy they’ve built, the mentorship they’ve offered, and the resilience they've shown through the organization's ups and downs.

This is where Empuls becomes a game-changer.

Empuls offers a dedicated rewards & recognition platform that ensures your long-standing employees feel seen, celebrated, and valued—consistently.

7 Effective tips for keeping tenured employees engaged and retained

Mentre i nuovi dipendenti sono soddisfatti dei premi e dei riconoscimenti che ricevono, rimane il problema di come riconoscere i dipendenti per gli anni di servizio. I riconoscimenti e le ricompense non funzionano secondo un modello unico. I dipendenti di lunga data hanno bisogno di riconoscimenti per distinguere il loro contributo. Ecco alcuni suggerimenti:

1. Offrire una retribuzione altamente competitiva

Offering above-average pay with great benefits is one of the most obvious ways to retain a long-standing valued employee. The pay and benefits alone can help lock your best employees in and incentivize them to stick around.

Additional benefits such as retention bonuses are extra incentives to keep them happy and performing well. Benefits such as health insurance, vision, and dental coverage, paid time off, and even a retirement plan can be essential.

2. Condividere il successo finanziario

While competitive pay is a strong motivator by itself, sharing financial success with your top performers could be all the motivation they need to stay put and do their best.

Since their contribution matters significantly to the organization’s success, it is only a fair deal to allow them to reap some of the financial rewards. You can offer them stock options along with annual raises with similar rewards.

3. Offrire flessibilità e vantaggi irresistibili

Hybrid work and flexibility are no longer just nice-to-haves—they're a baseline expectation for most employees, especially those who have invested years into your organization. Long-tenured employees often value autonomy, work-life balance, and the ability to tailor their work environment to suit their evolving needs.

To keep top performers engaged, it’s crucial to pair flexibility with meaningful perks that demonstrate appreciation beyond just salary. Think beyond the basics: offer wellness programs, learning allowances, lifestyle benefits, and personalized rewards that align with what your employees actually value.

This is where Empuls plays a vital role.

With its perks & benefits module, Empuls enables organizations to provide long-standing employees with access to:

• 6,000+ brand discounts across categories like travel, wellness, fitness, and lifestyle
• Early access to earned wages, helping employees navigate financial stress with ease
• Tax-saving benefits tied to meals, fuel, books, and more through Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs)
• Flexible fringe benefits for remote work support, upskilling, family care, and wellness initiatives

Empuls makes it easy for HR teams to customize these offerings based on tenure, location, or team, ensuring that long-tenured employees feel seen, supported, and valued. Even during lean times, offering such high-impact, low-cost perks can go a long way in boosting morale and loyalty.

In short, combining flexibility with perks through a platform like Empuls not only strengthens your employer brand but also creates a workplace experience that tenured employees are proud to be part of.

4. Investire nello sviluppo e nella crescita delle competenze

Staying with the same organization for years can also mean some degree of stagnation for the long haulers. Employees often jump when they feel their skills start growing blunt.

To overcome this issue, you can promote your valued employees for higher compensation and responsibility. Investing in your employees' education and career development is the other way to ensure they stay sharp and stick around for the continued benefits. Since the need for new skills, especially in the IT industry, is a must, investment in their up-skilling benefits both.

5. Abbinare i ruoli ai talenti naturali

Come si evince dallo studio Gallup di cui sopra, i dipendenti con le migliori prestazioni sono sempre ben assortiti con i loro ruoli. I loro talenti naturali consentono loro di affrontare sfide significative e di fornire valore in modo coerente. Nel corso del tempo crescono fino ad assumere sfide e responsabilità più grandi che li tengono fortemente impegnati.

6. Premi e riconoscimenti frequenti

Rewards and recognition are tangible expressions of employee appreciation—and for long-tenured employees, they carry even more significance. Over time, it’s easy for seasoned team members to blend into the background, with their consistent contributions being taken for granted. That’s why it’s important to celebrate not just their tenure milestones but also their ongoing impact.

While recognition can take many forms—team celebrations, monetary bonuses, wellness gifts, or shout-outs—what truly matters is consistency, personalization, and visibility. This is where a platform like Empuls becomes invaluable.

Empuls offers a comprehensive Rewards & Recognition (R&R) suite that helps companies move beyond the occasional “thank you.” With automated long-service awards, peer-to-peer recognition, and AI-powered nudges that prompt managers to recognize achievements in real time, Empuls helps create a culture where appreciation becomes part of the daily workflow.

Additionally, Empuls lets you:

• Customize awards for tenure milestones (5, 10, 15+ years)
• Offer employees a global rewards catalog featuring gift cards, experiences, merchandise, wellness kits, and more
• Set up recognition campaigns tied to core values, projects, or performance goals
• Display recognition on a public wall of fame, increasing visibility and team morale

For long-tenured employees especially, personalized recognition validates their journey, honors their loyalty, and strengthens their emotional connection to the company. When recognition is done right—and done often—it becomes one of the most powerful tools for retention and engagement.

7. Apprezzare la loro esperienza attraverso programmi di mentorship

Uno dei modi migliori per dimostrare ai dipendenti di ruolo che le loro capacità sono apprezzate è iscriverli a programmi di mentorship. Questi programmi affiancano i dipendenti esperti a quelli junior per trasferire le conoscenze mentre questi ultimi stanno ancora imparando. I programmi di mentorship aumentano il coinvolgimento dei dipendenti, in quanto ne convalidano le competenze e migliorano la soddisfazione sul lavoro.

Below is a full communication plan that leverages Empuls features—like surveys, social recognition, rewards, and intranet—to drive awareness and engagement across your organization.

🎯 Reignite engagement among long-tenured employees

Use Empuls to celebrate, listen to, and reward employees who have been with the organization 5+ years—improving retention, morale, and loyalty.

🗓️ Campaign Duration: 4 weeks (ideal for an internal theme like "Celebrating Loyalty Month" or "Legacy Leaders Appreciation Drive")

📢 It's time your run long service award campaigns using Empuls.

1. Kickoff Announcement (Week 1)

Where: Social intranet feed + email
Content:

• Celebrate all long-tenured employees (5+ years)
• Share why they matter: stability, knowledge, mentorship
• Set the tone: “We see you, we appreciate you, and we’re investing in your continued journey”

2. Automated Milestone Celebrations (Week 2)

Where: Social feed + recognition dashboard
Action:

• Use Empuls to trigger automated service awards (5, 10, 15, 20+ years)
• Include peer shout-outs and manager notes
• Include links to redeem rewards (gift cards, experiences, etc.)

3. Pulse Survey: "How Are We Supporting You?" (Week 2)

Where: Surveys module
Action:

• Run a short, focused pulse survey for tenured employees:
  • Do you feel recognized?
  • Do you have growth opportunities?
  • What support would help you thrive?

4. Perks & Benefits Activation (Week 3)

Where: Internal comms + Empuls Perks Store
Action:

• Showcase perks long-tenured employees can access:
  • Tax-saving benefits
  • Wellness & remote work allowances
  • Discounts from 6,000+ brands
• Spotlight testimonials from current employees using perks

🛠 Empuls Feature: Perks & Benefits module + Perks email template

5. Mentor Moments Recognition Wall (Week 4)

Where: Social feed
Action:

• Invite junior employees to post appreciation messages for long-tenured mentors
• Use custom core value badges for "Mentorship", "Consistency", "Legacy Builder"

Riflessioni conclusive

I dipendenti di lunga data sono tra le persone più influenti di un'organizzazione, in quanto apportano un patrimonio di conoscenze, competenze, esperienze e saggezza ai loro ruoli. È possibile che anche il più esperto tra i dipendenti di lunga data perda la motivazione e l'impegno con il passare del tempo. Per questo è importante apprezzare i dipendenti di valore attraverso premi e riconoscimenti regolari e aumentare il loro impegno.