At the Employee Engagement Summit, senior HR leaders Rachel Harper, Chief People Officer at National Star and Kaylee Darkins, Chief Human Resources Officer at AXA XL, shared a powerful perspective: meaningful employee engagement can only happen when leadership is purposeful, transparent, and aligned with culture. Their conversation revealed how organisations can strengthen employee connection and unlock performance through intentional, strategic leadership.
Kaylee Darkins outlined four elements that leaders must embed into their approach to bridge strategy with employee experience:
Darkins noted that these elements are not “initiatives” but enduring leadership behaviours that connect strategy with lived employee experience.
Rachel Harper brought these principles to life with examples from National Star. She described how the organisation re-examined its core values by holding staff roundtables and inviting employees to challenge whether the stated values matched reality. Rather than reinventing, the process refined the values and created strong buy-in.
Harper emphasised that when employees have a hand in shaping the cultural framework, they feel genuine ownership. This approach made employees more likely to embrace and live those values, creating a shared sense of purpose across the organisation.
Harper also addressed the importance of alignment between culture and how organisations present themselves externally. Too often, employer branding is aspirational rather than authentic. By being transparent about culture and employee value proposition (EVP), organisations not only attract the right talent but also support retention—because expectations align with reality from the start.
Cultural change is not the sole remit of HR. Leaders at every level must be accountable and involved. Harper illustrated this through collaborative strategy-setting forums at National Star, which built stronger employee understanding and commitment.
Darkins added that demographic segmentation helps leaders engage groups differently—whether champions, sceptics, or influencers—using data and listening tools to shape the approach. This ensures cultural engagement strategies are built around real employee needs rather than assumptions.
The discussion made one point unmistakably clear: true strategic leadership is about connection, not just direction. When leaders articulate a shared North Star, act transparently, listen deeply, and give employees a genuine role in shaping culture, they create workplaces where people are not only engaged but empowered to perform at their best.
Employee engagement, as Harper and Darkins reminded us, is not about programs or slogans. It is about leaders who are purposeful, truthful, and inclusive—leaders who build the conditions for trust and commitment to thrive.
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