Top 50 Employee Engagement Speakers
- By Aaron Peterson
- Dec 04, 2023
Having employees isn’t enough in today’s competitive business world. If your employees are not engaged in their jobs and connected with their co-workers, administrators, and managers, turnover can soar. Our top 50 employee engagement speakers specialize in keeping employees so that they feel appreciated, fulfilled, and engaged.
1. Jay Shetty
Jay Shetty specializes in the health and wellness of a workplace. He’s established corporate training programs for businesses like Google and Microsoft, and he does this using the skills he gained by learning essential lessons from a monk, skills he shares in “Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Everyday.”
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo helps companies develop strong leaders from the inside of a company out. Her insights dive into how to develop a winning mindset and achieve goals by finding happiness at work. She’s helped companies like Coca-Cola and Westinghouse improve employee engagement.
Jason Lauritsen spent three years on the research team for Quantum Workplace’s “Best Places to Work.” He’s studied what works and doesn’t work when it comes to employee experiences and engagement. Two of his popular speaking topics are: “Check-In Before They Check Out: How to Retain and Engage World-Class Employees” and “The Relationship Comes First: Discovering the True Path to Employee Engagement.”
Freddie Ravel toured the world with music legends like Carlos Santana, Madonna, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. He’s also the developer of the Life in Tune™ system that’s been called the key to transforming businesses from “dissonance to harmony.”
She left her work as an aerospace engineer and rocket scientist to become an expert in stress management corporate training. Shayla Rivera uses humor to help her audience and business leaders understand how to boost engagement in meaningful, productive ways.
6. Jia Jiang
Does your team fear rejection? It’s not common. Jia Jiang is the owner of Rejection Therapy, a site that helps train organizations and their workers to become fearless, which helps boost employee satisfaction in the workplace.
7. Kim Perell
One of Kim Perell’s most popular keynotes is “JUMP: Dare to Do What Scares You in Business and in Life.” It’s all about taking risks to reach success, and it’s an important lesson for employees to learn. If they don’t dare to take risks for your company, it’s hard to grow and be happy at work.
8. Jim Kwik
Jim Kwik’s skills as an employee engagement speaker taps into the work he does as a brain enhancement and high-performance coach. He champions the use of “Mindset, Motivation, and Methods” to transform, achieve more at work, and become a success. If productivity and happiness are the hopes you have for your employees, Jim can help.
9. Pat Wadors
Pat Wadors is the Chief People Officer of UKG, a payroll, HR, and workforce management solutions firm. The company is known for its award-winning workplace culture. She specializes in helping companies create a path to positive, engaging situations in every touchpoint an employee experiences, starting with a job interview and going through to training, promotions, and eventual retirement.
10. Joey Coleman
Joey Coleman is the go-to speaker for improving workplace culture and customer experiences. He’s an expert in employee and customer retention and has helped many companies, including NASA, Volkswagen, and Zappos. Ask him about his popular keynote, “Never Lose an Employee Again: Creating Remarkable Experiences in the First 100 Days to Create Engaged, Long-Term Employees.”
11. Alan Stein, Jr.
He’s a teacher of effective strategies that improve organizations and build effective leadership structures and teams. Alan Stein, Jr. specializes in helping teams collaborate, work together, and build winning routines. Some of his key strengths are in helping companies attract, hire, train, and empower strong workers. Once they have them, he helps business owners realize what it takes to keep them.
12. Eric Termuende
Eric Termuende is the co-founder of NoW of Work and author of “Rethink Work.” He’s given hundreds of talks to companies on how to build a strong team that’s innovative, resilient, and prepared for the future of work. He offers virtual and in-person talks on topics like “Leading Remote Teams: Maintaining Engagement, Productivity, and Happiness.”
13. Michelle Gielan
“Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change” came from more than 10 years of research finding the link between success and happiness. Michelle Gielan is one of Harvard Business Review’s “Top 10 Authors on Resilience.” She’s also the executive producer of “The Happiness Advantage" and professor of the “Oprah’s Happiness” course. All of her keynotes focus on the science of happiness and resilience.
14. Jacob Morgan
Jacob Morgan is one of our top speakers on the future of work, employee experiences, and leadership. He customizes his employee engagement for every client to ensure they have actionable, informative lessons.
15. Simon T. Bailey
Two of his popular videos include the Goalcast video on “How to Achieve the Life You Deserve” and the TEDx Talk “Be the Boom!” He’s been a specialist in employee engagement and strong leadership for more than 30 years and has worked with more than 1,800 companies around the world.
16. Pandit Dasa
Pandit Dasa’s goal in all talks and speeches is to help companies establish mindful workplace cultures that boost retention and productivity. He encourages workers and leaders to appreciate and celebrate different strengths within a company’s structure. Only a cohesive team is going to work effectively, and Pandit helps you get there.
17. Afdhel Aziz
One of Afdhel Aziz’s strengths is social entrepreneurship. He helps workers realize the meaning and value of their work and contributions. This is the key to positive change. He spent 20 years at several major companies ranging from Absolut to Procter and Gamble and left all of that to become the Founder and CPO of Conspiracy of Love, a consultancy focusing on positivity and generosity in the workplace and in the world.
18. Rich Bracken
Rich Bracken has spent over two decades researching how teams rise and what causes them to fall. He studies what makes for effective leadership and engagement and what triggers failure with those important business factors. Ask Rich to talk to your team about empathy, emotional intelligence, and mental awareness and how it boosts engagement and sustainable change.
19. Shane Feldman
Shane Feldman developed the “Leadership Passport” framework. It’s a method he uses to create work environments that are community-centric and help teams and individuals perform at peak levels in lasting ways. He was still in school when he started Count Me In, an alumni network that is a social entrepreneurship incubator and helps form strong relationships and enjoyable workplaces.
20. Jen Buck
Jen Buck loves helping people become aligned with their true purpose. It’s a key ingredient of employee engagement. If a worker isn’t having fun learning new things, developing their talents, and getting the job done, engagement isn’t going to last. She’s a Master Certified Trainer and specializes in employee development.
21. Mark Murphy
Leadership IQ is a critical part of building a strong, engaged team. Mark Murphy is the author of “Hiring For Attitude” and specializes in leadership science when it comes to engaging employees and stopping burnout. If you’re looking to have a company of high performers, Mark is an excellent speaker.
22. Steve Rizzo
When he was a teen, Steve Rizzo’s guidance counselor told him he wasn’t smart enough for college. In senior year, he was voted “Least Likely to Succeed.” He proved them all wrong and became an English teacher and counselor at his former high school. He left that to become a popular comedian and employee engagement speaker who knows that to succeed you must first enjoy what you’re doing.
He’s given keynotes around the world, all due to a rare genetic condition he has that left him with no legs and only one arm. Nick Santonastasso keeps beating the odds becoming a high school athlete, fitness model, and bodybuilder. He is also a talented speaker on the topic of making your professional goals happen, no matter the odds.
24. Mike Robbins
Mike Robbins has written five books, including one that relates to employee engagement. He’s the author of “We’re All In This Together. Book Mike to gain insight into team performance, a strong company culture, and expert leadership. Where did he develop his skills? As a KC Royals player whose career was cut short, so he moved into business development and consulting.
25. Paul Osincup
Palu Osincup is a Positive Workplace Strategist working to help form connected, happy, and healthy workplaces. He worked in higher education addressing high-risk behaviors and investigating campus assaults and domestic violence incidents. Using his negotiation skills, he helps companies pinpoint where there’s room for improvement and take the necessary steps to form teams and businesses that people want to be part of.
26. Angie Witkowski
She’s a Marine Corps veteran and expert on “Leading From the Front,” one of her three books. Angie Witkowski has helped businesses like Facebook and FedEx develop strong leadership skills and employment engagement. Ask her about talks on taking risks and stop playing it safe.
27. Tom Morris
Tom Morris has written more than 30 books on business. One of his strongest talents is helping organizations and leaders understand the keys to igniting passion in their workers and themselves. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Yale University and taught at Notre Dame for 15 years, so he is able to engage and excite audiences of all sizes.
28. Adrian Gostick
Adrian Gostick is a bestselling author and specialist in high-performance team building, change management, and innovation as keys to workplace engagement. Engaged, strong team members get to that point through support and encouragement.
29. Devon Harris
Devon Harris’s story is recognizable, even if you don’t realize it. He was part of the Jamaican bobsled team who proved that anything is possible. He’s a firm believer in the motto: “Yes, I Can!” and uses his role in the Keep On Pushing Foundation to ensure children have the opportunity to achieve their dreams. That motto and belief translate well into the workplace where teams need to align in powerful, positive ways.
30. Stephanie Angelo
Stephanie Angelo is an accredited speaker and creator of Built to Thrive®. She’s there to “slay the villain of stagnation.” When a workplace becomes stagnant, it’s impossible to retain employees or outperform the competition. She also created “Company Culture – A Game of Workplace Traction Not Transaction,” a board game used for company culture workshops that’s available online or for in-person talks.
31. Dan Gingiss
For more than 20 years, Dan Gingiss has given keynote speeches around the world. He’s specifically knowledgeable on making sure each employee is happy as employees are a key component in customer service. Dan also specializes in the importance of DEI when it comes to customer experiences and workplace culture.
32. Caleb Campbell
Teamwork is a main component of being in the NFL and serving in the military. Caleb Campbell is a former Army officer who was the second player in West Point history to get selected in the NFL Draft. He was permitted to serve and play professional football at the same time, but the policy that made that happen was rescinded hours later. He had to navigate facing his fears and protecting his emotional and mental health after rejection, and those are necessary to be an engaged employee and leader.
33. Joe Robinson
Stress and burnout can break your best employees. Joe Robinson is an expert on the work-life balance and how to reduce stress in the workplace to help keep employees engaged, productive, and effective. He’s the author of “Work Smarter, Live Better: The Science-Based Work–Life Balance and Stress Management Toolkit.” It’s a book that makes for great topics in any employment engagement talk.
Elisabeth Galperin established The ASCEND Method™ to teach business professionals the foundations and structures needed to establish a workplace where growth and success help lead to a productive, strong organization. She constantly challenges herself to remain competitive and helps her audience realize that they can be happy at work.
35. Eli Walker
Drunk Yoga® is a unique yoga company that specializes in team building. Companies hire Eli Walker to give beginner yoga classes that are paired with a morning coffee hour or happy hour and help ease workplace stress, find mindfulness, and learn to share their thoughts without feeling judged or fearful. When you tap into mindfulness and storytelling, you become self-empowered and thrive at work and in life.
36. Michelle DiTondo
Michelle DiTondo has three decades in HR leadership and organizational transportation. She worked specifically in culture transformation, leadership, and employee engagement for a team of 88,000 in almost a decade working for MGM Resorts International. One of her popular speaking engagements is “Creating a Culture of Inclusion,” which specializes in the use of inclusivity to create employee engagement.
37. Dean Stott
Dean Stott is one of the first Army members to join the Special Boat Service in the British Special Forces. He served for 16 years and uses his training and experience to help others pursue excellence. He doesn’t believe that things are impossible. It just takes the right plan.
38. Jamie Clarke
Jamie Clarke works with Olympians, professional athletes, sales professionals, start-ups, and leadership teams. He knows that the connection with all of them is the pressure they feel, but he also believes that you have to have failure to reach success.
Chip Eichelberger used to be Tony Robbins's international leader. He’s given talks at more than 1,000 conventions for companies ranging from Apple to RE/MAX. When he is hired for employee engagement presentations, he’s not there to give a speech, he insists on making the audience part of the presentation. He’s insisting on making sure all attendees are “Switched On.”
40. Omar L. Harris
Omar L. Harris has more than two decades helping build high-performance workplaces on four continents. He’s a former GM, founded Intent Consulting and Tympo.io, and has written several bestselling guides on employee experiences, managerial effectiveness, and team leadership.
41. Kristel Bauer
“Live Greatly” is Kristel Bauer’s top 1% self-improvement podcast. Her expertise in employee engagement focuses on mental and physical well-being. If your employees do not feel strong mentally and physically, it’s hard to feel happy. She’s a specialist in Integrative Psychiatry and has shared her insights with Bank of America, General Mills, and many others.
42. Joe Serio
Transformational leadership, turning difficult interactions into positive ones, and overcoming distractions for higher production rates are Dr. Joe Serio’s strengths. He’s the founder of Get the Nerve and specializes in helping workers be bold, develop emotional intelligence, and heighten production in positive, effective ways.
43. Brent Gleeson
Here’s the thing about Brent Gleeson. He’s a Navy SEAL combat veteran who uses the skills he learned on missions and uses them to improve leadership and build strong teams and a positive workplace culture. With a strong team working on all levels of your company, your employees feel heard and part of a cohesive structure.
44. JC Quintana
JC Quintana is just as comfortable talking to a business team as he is with individuals on a personal level. He excels in psychology, specifically the psychology of expectations and how to manage them to ensure loyalty and employee engagement.
45. Todd Sinelli
Todd Sinelli talks about his speeches and employee engagement workshops as being magic shows. He believes in experiences being external and “inperiences” as being internal. Both are necessary for employees to be content in their roles and the workplace.
46. Cheryl Mobley
Cheryl Mobley is the founder and CEO of reCalibrate, a firm that helps companies reach the top. She’s especially talented in helping organizations support employee growth and happiness. Hire her to talk about employee retaining and being the workplace where staff are engaged and want to stay.
47. Mark Eiglarsh
He’s referred to himself as “The Unhappy Guy.” Mark Eiglarsh fixed everyone’s problems but his own as a criminal defense attorney, husband, father, and friend. He realized he needed to fix himself and now travels the country sharing how to become happy, healthy, and successful at work and in life.
48. Dr. Cheryl Lentz
Dr. Cheryl Lentz is knowledgeable in both academia and business, and that helps her speak openly and expertly to her audience. One of her key topics is using failure to grow into a big success. Failure helps you gain perspective into what works and what doesn’t and use that to grow and become happier and more successful. Her talk “Get Out of Your Golden Palace” is worth a closer look for a hands-on approach to connect with your employees.
49. Danny Snow
At some point in their lives, every Snow family member worked for Disney. After earning his MBA, Danny Snow was the Director of Marketing at Snow & Associates, Inc. He helped turn that family business into one of the world’s leading customer service training companies in the world. He specializes in helping companies discover the decisions that need to be made to make a business thrive, including working on leadership and employee development.
50. Matt Lyles
Matt Lyles left his work as a brand strategy lead to become a brand experience consultant. He’s helped FedEx and Southwest Airlines improve their workplace culture for heightened employee and customer engagement.
Keeping your employees engaged and happy is key to a successful business. If they’re unhappy, they’re less likely to try their hardest to make your business succeed. Their attitudes may capture attention outside of the workplace, especially when there are legitimate complaints like low pay, poor management, and unsafe working conditions. If that gets back to your clients or customers, it can damage your reputation and keep additional talent from applying to work for you.
Hire the best of our 50 employee engagement speakers to learn how to make sure you keep your employees engaged. Our speakers have been there and know what it takes to improve the areas that are making it hard for your business to retain workers and attract new talent.
