The President of Endeavor America Loans offers insight into achieving meaningful employee engagement.

Through two years of focus on his company's culture, the writer learned that real communication is worth it, but the process can be difficult — and even painful.

The invitation of genuine criticism is beneficial. Endeavor used many polls and anonymous-response questions to find out how their employees were truly feeling. By focusing on creative, pointed questions, workers were able to express complex responses, not just pat answers.

Focus on engagement data is also encouraged. While many managers give many hours of time to financial data and productivity levels, looking into the human equation can yield positive results on the bottom line.

Focused engagement should be consistent, but not overwhelming. If managers get this right, they could achieve a true understanding of their company, translating into higher morale and productivity. 

Read full article at Entrepeneur.