More proof that employee engagement is on the decline: Gallup’s new report, “State of the Global Workplace: Understanding Employees, Informing Leaders,” indicates employee engagement fell to 24% in 2024. That’s only the second drop in the past 12 years, and it’s cause for alarm, experts say.
On-site, non-remote-capable workers are the least likely to be engaged (19%), followed by hybrid and on-site remote-capable employees (23% for each), with remote workers the most likely to be engaged (31%).
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“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,” according to a statement from Gallup. “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.”
Manager engagement declined the most, from 30% to 27%, with two types of manager particularly affected: young managers under age 35 and female managers.
The 142-page report also focuses on how autonomy and technology are affecting workers, and suggests how organizations can pave the way for a global productivity boom via these three steps:
1. Ensure all managers receive training to cut extreme manager disengagement. Fewer than half of the world’s managers (44%) say they have received management training.
2. Teach managers effective coaching techniques to boost manager performance. Some managers might have a natural gift for inspiring and developing people, but many do not.
3. Increase manager wellbeing through manager development. When employers provide manager training, it improves manager thriving levels from 28% to 34%, according to Gallup.
“Manager engagement is the key to reversing declining productivity, improving employee wellbeing and unlocking trillions in economic potential,” the reports states. “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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