Cara Mengekalkan dan Melibatkan Pekerja Bernilai Lama anda

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?

Pekerja yang berpengalaman adalah orang yang telah bersama syarikat atau organisasi untuk sejumlah besar masa. Daripada jumlah ini, pekerja yang telah lama berkhidmat adalah mereka yang telah berkhidmat dengan syarikat selama lebih daripada lima tahun, manakala pekerja jangka pendek telah bersama organisasi itu selama kurang daripada lima tahun.

The need to retaining your long tenured employees

Pengekalan pekerja adalah penting bagi organisasi kerana ia memerlukan wang dan masa untuk menggantikan bakat, terutamanya yang paling produktif. Keperluan untuk modal intelektual dan kebijaksanaan pekerja lama menjadi jelas semasa perubahan korporat, seperti pengambilalihan dan penggabungan.

Pekerja yang berpengalaman yang mengetahui setiap butiran organisasi bertindak sebagai penampan terhadap kejutan perubahan untuk menjadikannya lebih lancar. Mereka boleh mengekalkan aliran kerja dan konsistensi keseluruhan output organisasi yang pekerja baru akan mengalami kesukaran untuk bersaing. Sebagai aset penting bagi mana-mana organisasi, pekerja yang dihargai lama menawarkan faedah berikut:

• Mereka menyediakan asas pengetahuan yang kukuh tentang budaya, produk, dan perkhidmatan organisasi.
• Mereka adalah sistem sokongan yang sangat diperlukan untuk pekerja baru.
• Kehadiran mereka menunjukkan kestabilan dalam organisasi, yang meningkatkan cadangan nilai pekerjanya.
• Mengekalkan pekerja yang dihargai adalah lebih kos efektif daripada memperoleh yang baru.

What does it mean to engage tenured employees?

Penglibatan pekerja adalah semangat dan komitmen pekerja terhadap pekerjaan dan tempat kerja mereka. Oleh itu mengikut definisi, pekerja yang berpengalaman dan sangat dihargai juga harus sangat terlibat untuk menjadikannya sejauh itu. Walau bagaimanapun, realitinya agak bertentangan.

Menurut kaji selidik oleh Gallup, pekerja dengan tempoh terpanjang cenderung menjadi yang paling kurang terlibat. Kajian itu juga mendapati bahawa semakin lama tempoh perkhidmatan, semakin besar kemungkinan pekerja akan terlepas. Dari segi positif, data Gallup juga mencadangkan bahawa pekerja berprestasi tinggi mempunyai tiga persamaan:

• Tempoh perkhidmatan mereka adalah lebih daripada satu dekad.
• Mereka sangat terlibat dalam peranan mereka.
• Peranan dan bakat semula jadi mereka adalah sejajar.

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

Walaupun pekerja baru berpuas hati dengan ganjaran dan pengiktirafan yang mereka terima, persoalannya tetap mengenai bagaimana mengenali pekerja selama bertahun-tahun perkhidmatan. Pengiktirafan dan ganjaran tidak berfungsi pada model satu saiz yang sesuai untuk semua. Pekerja yang berpengalaman memerlukan pengiktirafan perkhidmatan yang panjang untuk membezakan sumbangan mereka. Berikut adalah beberapa cadangan:

1. Menawarkan gaji yang sangat kompetitif

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. Kongsi kejayaan kewangan

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. Menawarkan fleksibiliti dan faedah yang tidak dapat dinafikan

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. Melabur dalam pembangunan kemahiran dan pertumbuhan

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. Padankan peranan dengan bakat semula jadi

Seperti yang dilihat dari kajian Gallup di atas, pekerja berprestasi tinggi sentiasa sesuai dengan peranan mereka. Bakat semula jadi mereka membolehkan mereka menghadapi cabaran yang bermakna dan menyampaikan nilai secara konsisten. Lama kelamaan mereka akan berkembang untuk menghadapi cabaran dan tanggungjawab yang lebih besar yang memastikan mereka terlibat dengan kuat.

6. Ganjaran dan pengiktirafan kerap

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. Menghargai kepakaran mereka melalui program bimbingan

Salah satu cara terbaik untuk menunjukkan kepada pekerja anda yang berpengalaman bahawa kemahiran mereka dihargai adalah dengan mendaftarkan mereka dalam program bimbingan. Program-program ini menggandingkan pekerja berpengalaman dengan junior untuk memindahkan pengetahuan sementara junior masih belajar tali. Program bimbingan meningkatkan penglibatan pekerja kerana ia mengesahkan kemahiran mereka dan meningkatkan kepuasan kerja.

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"

Fikiran penutup

Pekerja jangka panjang adalah beberapa orang yang paling berpengaruh dalam organisasi kerana mereka membawa banyak pengetahuan, kemahiran, pengalaman, dan kebijaksanaan kepada peranan mereka. Adalah mungkin bagi pengangkut panjang yang paling berpengalaman untuk kehilangan motivasi dan penglibatan mereka dari masa ke masa. Oleh itu, adalah penting untuk menghargai pekerja yang dihargai melalui ganjaran dan pengiktirafan tetap dan meningkatkan penglibatan mereka.