Happy, Engaged Workers — On the Decline

Gallup did a report earlier this month about employee engagement. State of the Global Workplace: Understanding Employees, Informing Leaders found employee engagement falling 24% in 2024.

That’s just the second drop in the last 12 years and it’s worrisome.

At 19%, Gallup’s survey found workers unable to work remotely are the least likely to be engaged. Both hybrid and on-site remote-capable employees are at 23%. The most likely to be engaged are remote workers.

That figure is 31%.

“Employee engagement measures the enthusiasm workers feel for their work and their attachment to their team and organization, and it directly affects team performance and business outcomes,” Gallup’s report said. “Remote workers may be more engaged because they have more autonomy in their work. This freedom allows them to play to their strengths, reach a flow state more easily, and use their time more efficiently.”

The biggest decline in engagement came from managers. It dropped from 30% to 27%. The two types of managers most impacted, and likely to be less engaged, are younger managers under age 35 and female managers.

The report offers several suggestions to improve engagement:

• Make sure managers get training that will cut their extreme disengagement
• Just 44% of the managers surveyed say they get such training
• Teach managers how to coach workers and get them engaged
• When managers get such training, their thriving levels go from 28% to 34%

“Manager engagement is the key to reversing declining productivity, improving employee wellbeing and unlocking trillions in economic potential,” the reports concludes. “By redefining the role, expectations, and support of managers, leaders can create an environment where managers thrive — and when managers thrive, so do their teams. The choice for executives is simple: Invest in the future of management or risk the consequences of inaction.”

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