Global Employee Engagement Remains Stagnant at 23%
According to the "State of the Global Workplace" report by Gallup Organization, the percentage of engaged employees, meaning those who feel involved and enthusiastic about their work, remains at 23%, matching the record set in 2022. [1]
The same report reveals that more than half of employees (62%) are not engaged, meaning they only do the bare minimum and find no inspiration in their work. Furthermore, 15% are actively disengaged, which includes individuals with poor managers, miserable jobs, and those seeking new employment opportunities.
Why are so many people unhappy with their careers? No organization operates in a vacuum, insensitive to macroeconomic trends and government policies beyond their control. The interaction between micro and macro factors is crucial for leaders, who must take them into account when navigating a constantly evolving work environment. Here are three key factors that all organizations must consider, according to Gallup:
- Job Market Conditions: Countries with better job markets have a lower proportion of unhappy workers, but they do not differ significantly in terms of the proportion of highly inspired workers. More than half of salaried employees worldwide believe it's a good time to find a job, a figure that has slightly increased compared to last year and varies significantly across countries. Gallup found lower levels of active disengagement in countries where respondents believe it's a good time to find a job.
Overall, improving economic conditions can shift workers from anger to indifference – from actively disengaged to not engaged – but not from indifference to inspiration.
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Employee Engagement in Difficult Times: During challenging periods, employee engagement becomes an even more important indicator of business unit performance. The relationship between employee engagement and business performance is slightly stronger during economic recessions. This is likely due to engaged employees redoubling their efforts during difficult times, while those who are not inspired feel like victims of circumstances and have no means to improve things. Business units with more engaged employees are more resilient in turbulent and uncertain environments.
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Government Policies and Employee Engagement: Labor laws are more closely linked to current life satisfaction than to optimism about the future. Employee engagement, as opposed to job protection, more strongly explains optimism about the future: having a good job gives people hope. One of the main conclusions is that employees working in countries with strict labor legislation and who are also engaged in their work enjoy the highest overall well-being.
[1] Gallup Only 9% of Tunisian Employees Are Engaged in Their Jobs!