Many organizations across the country are struggling to maintain morale and production. Employee engagement is in decline, while burnout is surging across the U.S. workforce. However, there is a critical — and often overlooked — solution that addresses both problems: improving job quality.

At the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, we work with our Network Partners to help employers improve job quality, transforming how businesses operate and how workers experience their jobs. We understand that when employees are valued, supported, and empowered, they are more engaged — and far less likely to experience burnout.

Understanding Job Quality and Its Impact

Job quality goes beyond basic wages and benefits. It encompasses all the factors employees take into account in evaluating their workplaces, just as consumers evaluate the products they buy. These can include issues like workplace safety (both physical and psychological), meaningful work, opportunities for advancement, and having autonomy and a voice in decision-making. These elements are not just employee perks — they are essential components of a thriving workforce.

When employers prioritize job quality, they create environments where employees feel seen, heard, and respected. This leads to higher engagement, improved job satisfaction, and a greater sense of purpose. Conversely, when job quality is neglected, employees are more likely to feel overwhelmed, disconnected, and burned out.

The Link Between Job Quality and Employee Engagement

There are many factors that can lead to employees being disengaged from their workplaces. While some causes stem from issues within the workplace like lack of career growth or lack of clarity in a role; other causes are external, like a reduced sense of well-being or trauma outside the workplace. However, enhancing job quality through strategies that directly address these issues can improve worker engagement.

In fact, research shows that employee engagement is strongly tied to how valued and supported workers feel. Employers can significantly boost engagement by promoting employee voice and participation, offering clear career advancement opportunities, providing regular recognition and feedback, ensuring supportive supervision, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. These improvements empower employees, making them feel valued and motivated, which not only enhances their well-being but also drives better business outcomes, including higher retention rates and improved performance.

Preventing Burnout Through Job Quality

Burnout is not just an individual problem — it is a systemic issue that arises when employees are overworked, underappreciated, and unsupported. Improving job quality is one of the most effective ways to prevent burnout because it addresses the root causes:

• Workload Management: Clear expectations and reasonable workloads help prevent overwhelming stress.
• Recognition and Growth: Regular feedback and opportunities for advancement give employees a sense of progress.
• Supportive Culture: A workplace where employees can voice concerns without fear fosters psychological safety.

Using the Job Quality Outcome Maps as a Practical Tool

Both engagement and burnout are closely tied to business key performance indicators (KPIs). Burnout is a predictor of healthcare costs borne by companies, as well as being tied to lower productivity, higher turnover, and loss of institutional knowledge. And engagement is closely associated with improved revenues, productivity, and profits.

The National Fund’s Job Quality Outcome Maps provide a framework for understanding these connections. This tool helps businesses identify which workplace characteristics  are connected to business outcomes such as improving engagement or reducing burnout. By using the maps, employers can take a strategically identify opportunities for improving their workplace function.

Driving Change Locally, Impacting Nationally

Our Network Partners work directly with employers in their communities to improve job quality. By sharing best practices, learning from setbacks, and scaling what works, we are helping to create a future where all jobs are good jobs — and all workers have the support they need to thrive.