A recent Gallup survey reveals employee engagement — workers' enthusiasm and involvement in their jobs and workplaces — has plummeted to a 10-year low.
This decline is significant because research consistently demonstrates a link between engaged employees and higher productivity. Gallup's chief scientist of workplace management, Jim Harter, explains that organizations thrive when employees have clearly defined roles, feel cared for, connect with the company's mission, and believe their opinions matter.
Gallup assesses engagement using 12 metrics, including workplace satisfaction, clarity of expectations, and the opportunity to utilize one's strengths daily. Compared to pre-pandemic data from March 2020, the most significant drops were:
- A 10-point decrease (from 56%) in employees who clearly understand their work expectations.
- A drop from 47% to 39% in workers who feel someone at work cares about them as a person.
- A decline from 36% to 30% in those who feel their development is encouraged.
This data aligns with a previous Gallup report highlighting a "Great Detachment," with more employees expressing dissatisfaction and a desire for new employment.
Employee engagement had been on the rise following the 2008 recession, driven by improved corporate management and a growing recognition of the importance of workplace culture. However, the pandemic disrupted this trend, with engagement declining since 2020 amid rapid workplace changes like the rise of remote work, mass resignations and hiring, and subsequent economic slowdown.
Massella Dukuly, head of workplace strategy at Charter, suggests a recent decline in focus on employee engagement, possibly due to the perception that workers have limited alternative job options in the current market.
One interpretation suggests a potential correlation between high employee engagement and low interest rates (ZIRP). The argument posits that companies may have prioritized employee well-being more when economic conditions allowed for such investments.