An Investigation into the Key Drivers of Employee Engagement among Trainee Accountants in an Accountancy Firm in Ireland

The aim of this study is to investigate the area of employee engagement and determine if the key drivers in the literature have any relevance among trainee accountants. After review of the literature 7 key drivers of engagement were identified, these include: relationship with leaders, work-life balance, training and career development, compensation, work environment, relationship with co-workers, and organisational policies and procedures. The research study adopted a qualitative research method and conducted 9 semi structured in-depth interviews to gain a deep understanding of the topic. Out of the 9 participants, 7 identified themselves as engaged and 2 as disengaged. The research method adopted and the small sample of trainees presented limitations that will be discussed in the study. Analysis of the findings showed a direct correlation between the key drivers in the literature and the drivers the participants felt impacted on their engagement