Employee Engagement is Down – Why it Matters and What We Can Do About It
Britt Andreatta, PhD
I help organizations and people rise to their potential by leveraging the brain science of success.
During the pandemic, employee engagement understandably took a nosedive. With so many people out of a job or working completely from home, inevitably, people’s attitudes toward work changed – and for many, even now in the years following, it’s no longer the priority it once was. According to Gallup’s annual State of the Global Workforce report, only 23% of the global workforce is engaged at work (which they call thriving), while a staggering 59% are not engaged, a state often described as "quiet quitting." And 18% are actively disengaged or "loud quitting."
This decline in engagement means productivity, employee retention, and overall workplace culture have all suffered. However, prioritizing people’s well-being and having productive workplaces doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Here’s why the success of both are inextricably connected.
The Current State of Employee Engagement
Gallup's recent shift in language from focusing solely on engagement to a broader perspective that includes well-being and thriving is significant. They categorize employees on a continuum from suffering to thriving, with struggling in the middle. This new approach recognizes that engagement is intricately linked to overall well-being.
Gallup's findings highlight a critical issue – that only 21% of U.S. employees feel their organization genuinely cares about their well-being. This lack of perceived care has significant consequences:
Why Employee Engagement is Suffering
Several factors contribute to low employee engagement, with poor management being the most significant. According to Gallup, managers account for 70% of the variance in employees’ engagement. Their daily words and actions significantly influence employees' sense of safety, their perception of whether the company cares about them, and even their access to the information they need to perform their jobs effectively.
These are the top 10 factors leading to low employee engagement:
Poor management sits at the top of this list for a reason—people generally leave a boss, not a company. Many managers are promoted to this position because they were good individual contributors but that does not mean they have the skills to cultivate the potential of others. SHRM found that 84% of employees say that poorly trained managers create a lot of unnecessary stress. And 50% felt their own performance would improve if their manager received the right kind of training.?
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Obviously, investing in manager training should be a top priority. Managers directly impact at least half of the list above through their daily words and actions. The good news is that investing in manager training will pay off in increased productivity, engagement, and retention of your best people.?
Poor management can also take the form of toxic behavior. An article in Human Resources Director states that nearly 9 out of 10 employees have been under a toxic boss, directly impacting their productivity, engagement, and anxiety. The American Psychological Association (APA) found that 22% of workers say their work environment has harmed their mental health. Half of employees say they have nightmares about their bosses and one-third go to therapy to cope with their toxic manager.?
Organizations need to address toxic behavior directly and immediately. Ignoring the signs can lead employees to perceive the entire culture as toxic. Studies show that a toxic corporate culture is 10.4X more powerful than compensation in predicting a company’s attrition rate.
How to Revitalize Employee Engagement
One of the most effective ways to address low employee engagement is through a strong learning culture. Not only will it give managers the skills they need, but it also benefits employees directly. Many of the other ten factors listed above can be mitigated or even resolved with comprehensive training programs. Key elements of a strong learning culture include:
This content is partially excerpted from my recent interview with Training Industry’s Q&A podcast The Business of Learning, Episode 77: Elevate Employee Engagement With L&D . To learn more about employee engagement, you can listen to it here or on Apple iTunes Podcasts , Google Play and on Spotify .
About Britt Andreatta
Dr. Britt Andreatta is an internationally recognized thought leader who uses her background in leadership, neuroscience, psychology, and education to create science-based solutions for today’s workplace challenges. Britt is the CEO of Brain Aware Training and former CLO for Lynda.com (LinkedIn Learning). She has over 10 million views worldwide of her online courses and is the author of several best-selling books on the brain science of success including Wired to Grow, Wired to Resist, Wired to Connect, and Wired to Become. In 2024, she was awarded the ATD Thought Leader Award. She has also been named as a Top 10 Influencer in Learning and a Top 20 Influencer for Leadership Development. Dr. Andreatta regularly consults with organizations on leadership development and learning strategy. Learn more her work at www.BrittAndreatta.com
Corporate Wellbeing Specialist | Helping Organisations Boost Employee Health & Productivity | Speaker & Consultant
2 个月The stat you shared is powerful—it's clear that wellbeing is directly tied to retention. In your experience, what are the most overlooked factors that cause disengagement? I'd love to hear thoughts on how companies can proactively address this and create a more purpose-driven workplace.
Employee engagement specialist helping HR & Businesses achieve exceptional team productivity and become employer of choice
2 个月Britt Andreatta, PhD Insightful article! It’s clear that employee engagement is deeply intertwined with well-being and effective management. Prioritising manager training and fostering a culture of learning can significantly enhance employee satisfaction and retention.
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2 个月. This is a great article, Britt. Not only does it outline the problems, but it gives actionable steps towards correcting the issue(s). And, rightfully so, MANAGEMENT, at the top of the list. A mediocre person combined with a bad management experience can wreck a company. While a mediocre or average person, with a good experience with management, can be transformed into a star employee. #GuruRichard says: I dig this. Hope your day is going well. .
I Help Teams Create Sustainable Well-Being and Leaders Foster Thriving Cultures ?? Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses Alumni | Professional Speaker | Author
2 个月Thanks for sharing this, Britt Andreatta, PhD. So many employers fill roles without considering where strengths can improve performance. Even the "what are your biggest strengths and weaknesses" question at interviews won't indicate where people will excel. People say what they need to to get the job. However, assessing strengths and placing new hires (or transferring existing employees) into positions that will allow them to use those strengths is a great way to keep engagement up and burnout down.