Gallup Survey Reveals Declining Employee Engagement in the United States

A Gallup survey on U.S. employee engagement revealed employees felt lower job satisfaction and reduced connection to the organization's mission in 2023. Highlights include:

Employees remain disengaged: Although actively disengaged workers, those most loudly dissatisfied, decreased from 18% in 2022 to 16% in 2023, 50% of employees continue to feel detached from their employer.

Engagement impacts productivity: Employee engagement in the U.S. stagnated in the second half of 2023, with 33% of employees engaged for the full year, slightly lower than the peak of 36% in 2020, resulting in approximately $1.9 trillion in lost productivity for employers across the U.S.

Key engagement element, role clarity, declines: The most significant decline was in clarity of work expectations, driven by team restructuring, increased job responsibilities, and 70% of managers receiving no formal training in leading hybrid teams.

U.S. disengagement is not unique: Gallup's State of the Global Workplace revealed that over 50% of the global workforce is disengaged, leading to an $8.8 trillion economic cost, emphasizing the importance of connecting with employees. Disengaged employees are more likely to leave companies, with 22% expecting a pay increase for switching. The survey also found that disengagement affects stress and productivity more than work location. Click here to read more. 

The bottom line: The survey reinforces the continued importance of employee engagement. Gallup found frequent, meaningful conversations between managers and employees, focused on recognition, collaboration, goals, and priorities, to be crucial in preventing disconnection from the organization. In the hybrid and remote workplace, these conversations are especially critical.