![\"Employee](\"https:\/\/www.yourthoughtpartner.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Blog_images\/Employee-engagement-research.jpg?width=1100&height=605&name=Employee-engagement-research.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cI love my job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seems like a simple enough statement, and yet how often do you hear it? For many people, work is work. And yet we spend so much time working that it sure would be nice to actually love what we do every day.<\/p>\n
Instead, burnout and disengagement are high, and many leaders do little to reverse the trend. For some, the focus on making work engaging and motivating may seem like the \u201csoft\u201d part of business, something to address but not necessarily with a full-court press.<\/p>\n
Yet the employee engagement data is very clear: engagement is a key driver of organizational success. To make our organizations thrive, improving the employee experience<\/a> deserves our full attention.<\/p>\n Employee engagement is the emotional and psychological connection employees feel toward their work, their team, and the organization. When that connection is strong, it drives a host of benefits \u2013 higher performance, more collaboration, and stronger retention.<\/p>\n Engaged employees are more likely to look forward to work, feel their contributions matter, and see their role as meaningful. They show up with energy, creativity, and a desire to go above and beyond \u2013 not because they have to, but because they want to.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the power behind positive employee engagement statistics \u2013 they reflect an environment where people are truly invested. And behind every positive employee engagement statistic is a leader who\u2019s creating the conditions for that connection to thrive.<\/p>\n According to Gallup and other sources of leading employee engagement data, there\u2019s a direct connection between how employees feel and how a company performs. When that data is overlooked, organizations often miss red flags until it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n Top company leaders often point to engagement as a key contributor to a company\u2019s success. Consider the reflections of three prominent leaders on engagement:<\/p>\n Critically, leaders often miss the signs of employees who\u2019ve checked out and begun to search for a new and better role. McKinsey researchers aptly addressed<\/a> this reality in a piece titled, \u201cHelp your employees find purpose \u2013 or watch them leave.\u201d Researchers wrote, \u201cEmployees expect their jobs to bring significant purpose to their lives. Employers need to help to meet this need or be prepared to lose talent to companies that will.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the past several years, a mound of evidence has piled in on the importance of engagement. Here\u2019s a snapshot of the data we\u2019ve found to be most compelling:<\/p>\n U.S. employee engagement fell to its lowest level in a decade in 2024, with only 31% of employees engaged, according to the latest research from Gallup, which has tracked engagement for decades.<\/p>\n An alarming number \u2013 17% of employees \u2013 are \u201cactively disengaged,\u201d Gallup\u2019s research<\/a> says. The numbers reflect a \u201cgrowing trend of employee detachment from organizations,\u201d particularly among workers under 35, Gallup says.<\/p>\n More than 75% of employees and 63% of managers report feeling burned out<\/a> or ambivalent in their current position, according to a study<\/a> we conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll. Clearly, these feelings are highly connected to employee disengagement.<\/p>\n Further, the study found managers aren’t recognizing just how overwhelmed their employees feel, with 89% of managers saying their employees are thriving compared to the actual thriving figure of 24% \u2013\u00a0a more than 3-to-1 discrepancy.<\/p>\n Global employee engagement fell by two percentage points in 2024 \u2013 from 23% to 21%, according to Gallup<\/a>. Engagement has only fallen twice in the past 12 years, in 2020 and 2024.<\/p>\n Gallup\u2019s 2024 global research<\/a> found manager engagement falling from 30% to 27%. Managers under the age of 35 reported a five-percentage-point decline. Female manager engagement fell by seven percentage points.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn recent years, managers have been squeezed between new executive priorities and employee expectations. Many organizations experienced workforce changes after the pandemic, characterized by high turnover, rapid expansions, and layoffs in some sectors,\u201d Jim Harter, Ph.D., and Chief Scientist of Workplace for Gallup, wrote in releasing the findings. \u201cAt the same time, employees have new demands for flexibility and remote work based on their pandemic experiences, but some companies have rolled this flexibility back. All of this eventually takes a toll on the world\u2019s managers,\u00a0who are struggling to make it all work<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Our\u00a02024 research with The Harris Poll <\/a>found that managers play a critical role in moving employees from burned out and checked out to thriving<\/a>. For employees who say they are thriving, the top indicator is a manager who is “invested in their success.”<\/p>\n Employee thriving is driven by three key drivers:<\/p>\n A whopping 90% of organizations are concerned about employee retention and the need for learning opportunities to further engage employees, according to the <\/span>2024 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The report also found that employees crave growth and development opportunities<\/a> to become more motivated and engaged, including leadership development support, mentorship, individualized career plans, and more chances to move into new roles.<\/p>\n A 2025 Pew Research Center survey<\/a> of AI in the workplace found widespread concern among employees about the potential impact of AI. When asked about their feelings about how AI might be used in future work sites, 52% of respondents said they were \u201cworried,\u201d while just 36% said they were \u201chopeful\u201d about it.<\/p>\n In a Washington Post piece about the study<\/a>, Hatim Rahman, associate professor of Northwestern University\u2019s Kellogg School of Management, said workers are worried about their jobs being replaced.<\/p>\n \u201cIn absence of the clear vision of increasing productivity [with AI], people are legitimately scared that the organization may justify laying them off by saying AI can do this job,\u201d said Rahman, who studies AI effects on work.<\/p>\n Gen Z is hungrier for advancement. 53% want learning options to progress in their career, compared to 37% for other generations, says LinkedIn\u2019s recent Workplace Learning Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Workers younger than 35 were five points less engaged in 2024 compared to the year prior, according to Gallup\u2019s annual survey<\/a>. Gallup found notable declines in the Gen Z generation on a number of engagement measures, including a lack of clarity on expectations, poor recognition, and not having opportunities to do what employees feel they do best.<\/p>\n Our recent research<\/a> with The Harris Poll on employee burnout levels reached similar conclusions. The study found that younger generation employees are nearly 3x more likely than older generations to say that interpersonal conflict hinders working conditions and drives feelings of burnout (16%).<\/p>\n Younger generations are also more than 2x as likely than older generations to cite a toxic work environment (16%) and communication overload as contributing to burnout (17%), the study found.<\/p>\n Global employee engagement fell by two percentage points in 2024, costing the world economy an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity, according to Gallup\u2019s 2024 State of the Workforce report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gallup research has consistently shown that engaged teams do better on several key performance measures. Gallup\u2019s latest employee engagement research<\/a> found that business units and teams scoring in the top quartile in engagement had the following impressive differences in business outcomes when compared to the lowest quartile group:<\/p>\n At the same time, Gallup finds that engaged employees achieve multiple positive impacts for the business:<\/p>\n Higher engagement can lead to a 57% improvement in discretionary effort, <\/span>according to the Corporate Leadership Council<\/a>, a division of the Corporate Executive Board.<\/span><\/p>\n On average, engaged employees see a 20% individual performance improvement and an 87% reduction in the desire to leave.<\/p>\n These outcomes show the value of even a single compelling employee engagement statistic\u00a0can shine a light on the ROI of an engaged workforce and help guide smarter leadership decisions.<\/p>\n More time with one\u2019s leader leads to higher engagement for employees, according to recent research from Leadership IQ<\/a>, which surveyed 32,410 American and Canadian executives, managers, and employees.<\/p>\n Specifically, the research team found:<\/p>\n Only 36% of employees feel engaged, and just 24% feel psychologically safe at work, according to a 2025 report from Achievers Workforce Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n Employees who take the time to frequently survey their employees and use multiple forms of feedback channels tend to report higher employee engagement levels, according to research from Achievers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Overall, better communication is a huge key to higher employee engagement, according to multiple research studies. As experts in leadership communication<\/a>, we could not feel stronger about communication as a vital piece in the engagement puzzle.<\/p>\n Our recent research with The Harris Poll found that thriving employees reported working for senior leaders who provided clear direction and authentic communication.<\/p>\n One of the best answers for how to engage employees is to simply make work feel motivating. Often, that means connecting employees not only to a sense of purpose but also trying to more directly match employee talents with their work.<\/p>\n In a recent Harvard Business Review<\/em> piece<\/a>, Marcus Buckingham, head of people and performance research at the ADP Research Institute, shared insights from companies he\u2019s extensively researched because of their success with engaging employees.<\/p>\n Buckingham said a key driver of success is talking more with employees about what they love to do. He cited a Mayo Clinic study that found if less than 20% of your work involves the things you love to do, you\u2019re far more likely to experience physical and psychological burnout.<\/p>\n Buckingham, who authored the book Love + Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life<\/em>, also shared the example of Lululemon, which encourages employees to set both career and personal goals. He attributed that focus to helping the company achieve 90-day retention and first-year employee engagement scores twice as high as industry averages.<\/p>\n Other exemplary programs for engagement that Buckingham admired include:<\/p>\n In our work with clients of The Grossman Group<\/a>, we\u2019ve seen firsthand many examples of winning programs that help drive employee engagement. Here are some highlights of the key strategies that are working for our clients today:<\/p>\n Whenever a company is experiencing massive change<\/a> (which is the case with most large companies today), employees often feel disconnected from the reasons behind the shift. Yet when leaders bring in the internal communications team as part of the change process, there\u2019s a much better chance the change goes smoothly.<\/p>\n For example, we worked with a large university<\/a> to shore up its communications team during a time of change. The team then had the support of leadership to develop a plan for a highly successful town hall<\/a> that brought together many more employees than the organization had ever gathered for one meeting. Simultaneously, the university provided leadership training for top leaders, so they could carry forward the messages from the town hall with their teams on a regular basis.<\/p>\n As a result, the entire leadership team was sharing a similar message about the direction of the university for the future. Singing from the same songbook, unified and directed in its approach to the future.<\/p>\n Historically, one of the biggest stresses on employee engagement is a major change, such as a merger, and these changes are obviously happening much more frequently.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to address the pain points<\/a> employees often feel during such a big time of transition, and one great tool is a unified \u201cplatform\u201d of messages, a clear story that has all leaders singing from the same songbook.<\/p>\n That platform needs to be open about the challenges ahead and speak to the top questions on employees\u2019 minds. A prepared Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document can help leaders stay in tune with the top questions employees have.<\/p>\n When a big change or new strategy<\/a> is involved, it\u2019s easy for employees to be naysayers and disengage. Change can be exhausting, and it\u2019s easy to simply resist or complain.<\/p>\n Yet when organizations can equip managers or other influential employees with the communication tips and training to share the context behind a change, employees can feel more informed \u2013 and ultimately supportive \u2013 of the new direction.<\/p>\n All too often today, employee communication is bland and routine. Leaders deliver emails written without much thought for the employee audience and what\u2019s on their minds. The \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d question isn\u2019t even considered. Organizations that take the time to truly listen to employees can do a much better job at inspiring and engaging them.<\/p>\n For example, we worked with a global healthcare organization<\/a> to plan a town hall like nothing employees had experienced before. While the meeting was online and for an audience of thousands of employees across the globe, months of planning went into it.<\/p>\n Inspirational keynote speakers were brought in, along with leaders who spoke to how the organization was helping transform the lives of patients around the world. Employees working on successful projects that impacted patients were recognized, and details shared of what\u2019s working and where improvements need to be made.<\/p>\n Employees shared that the meeting was one of the most memorable and engaging experiences they had ever had with the company. Many employees said they learned new insights about the mission and its impact on employees and patients. It was a great win for the communications team and for employees.<\/p>\n Work demands have steadily increased over the years, leaving many employees feeling overworked, stressed, and burned out.<\/a> Organizations that acknowledge this reality and respond with greater flexibility \u2013 like offering more autonomy and paid time off \u2013 tend to see stronger engagement and retention.<\/p>\n Many are going a step further, introducing creative benefits such as additional time off, flexible work locations, performance bonuses, equity incentives, or customized schedules that give employees more control over how they manage their time.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re seeing the signs of disengagement \u2013 lower morale, quiet quitting, higher turnover \u2013 it\u2019s time to take action.<\/p>\n At The Grossman Group<\/a>, we work with leaders to uncover the root causes of low engagement and build a communication strategy that strengthens trust, connection, and performance. From analyzing your internal employee engagement data to activating leaders with the skills and messages they need to inspire teams, we bring a proven approach that\u2019s tailored to your organization\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s partner<\/a> to turn insights into outcomes \u2013 and help your employees feel seen, heard, and motivated to contribute their best. Our expertise and data-driven approach ensure that we\u2019re not just improving culture \u2013 we\u2019re improving the numbers reflected in your employee engagement statistics and business results.<\/p>\n Employee disengagement is undoubtedly a serious concern for organizations today, yet there\u2019s an incredible opportunity for all organizations to turn that around. It comes down to the most important aspect of any organization\u2019s lifeblood \u2013 the employees.<\/p>\n When more attention is paid to what employees need to do their jobs better, and what truly motivates them, companies can take their organizations further than they ever imagined.<\/p>\n Which of these statistics resonated most for you, and what do you think organizations can do to improve employee engagement? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014David Grossman<\/p>\n Get insights that you can use to show your team they genuinely matter. When you do, those employees will be more engaged, producing stronger results for the business. Download your free copy of the eBook \u2013 A Persona of Today\u2019s Employee<\/em><\/a> \u2013 here<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhat Is Employee Engagement?<\/h2>\n
Why Does Employee Engagement Matter?<\/h2>\n
\n
15 Key Employee Engagement Statistics to Consider Now<\/h2>\n
1. U.S. Employee Engagement Levels Are Dismal<\/h3>\n
2. U.S. Employees and Managers Are Burnt Out and Checked Out<\/h3>\n
3. Global Employee Engagement Levels Are Also Historically Low<\/h3>\n
4. Disengaged Managers Have a Trickle-Down Impact on Employee Engagement<\/h3>\n
5. Employees Need Supportive Managers in Order to Thrive<\/h3>\n
\n
6. Disengaged Employees Are a Serious Flight Risk<\/h3>\n
7. The Explosion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Causing Concern Among Employees, Impacting Engagement<\/h3>\n
8. To Be Engaged, Gen Z Wants More from Their Employers<\/h3>\n
9. Employee Disengagement Has Serious Business Impacts on the World Economy<\/h3>\n
10. Engaged Employees Produce Better Business Results<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
11. Engaged Employees Bring More \u201cDiscretionary Effort\u201d<\/h3>\n
12. Managers Who Spend More Time with Their Employees Improve Engagement<\/h3>\n
\n
13. To Be Better Engaged, Employees Crave Acceptance and Belonging<\/h3>\n
14. Getting Feedback Helps Retain and Engage Employees<\/h3>\n
15. Better Communication is Essential for Employees to Thrive<\/h3>\n
How to Improve Employee Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
5 Key Strategies Behind Successful Employee Engagement Programs Today<\/h2>\n
1. Getting Teams Connected to the Change<\/h3>\n
2. Building a Coherent Story During a Merger<\/h3>\n
3. Cultivating Ambassadors<\/h3>\n
4. Focusing on Inspired Meetings and Themes<\/h3>\n
5. Embrace Flexibility and Work-Life Balance<\/h3>\n
How The Grossman Group Can Help<\/h2>\n
The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n
![\"Click](\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/83405\/c57ad8b0-4e81-4cfe-98ac-e28b57eded1f.png\")
<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"