The benefits accrued to companies that mindfully screen for “talented” and “engaged” managers are myriad, according to a study by Gallup — including a huge competitive advantage in profitability.

Gallup continues to venture far beyond mere pollstering, as exemplified by its analytical tome on managers, “State of the American Manager.” Among the extractions from this report are observations about the effect managers have on corporate performance. Consider this:

• Companies that hire managers based on talent report a 48 percent increase in profitability;

• Those companies report a 22 percent increase in productivity;

• They report a 30 percent increase in employee engagement;

• They report a 17 percent increase in customer engagement;

• And a 19 percent decrease in turnover.

The trick is finding these talented, engaged managers. The recruiting and interviewing processes need to be completely retooled to screen in the right people rather than screen out the “wrong” ones. And that’s not easy, given that Gallup’s research shows that only 35 percent of managers are engaged in their jobs.

“Through their impact, Gallup estimates that managers who are not engaged or who are actively disengaged cost the U.S. economy $319 billion to $398 billion annually,” Gallup said.