Insights from the 2024 Gallup Global Engagement Study
In an interconnected world, understanding global sentiments is essential for fostering cooperation, progress, and well-being. The recently released 2024 Gallup Global Engagement Study offers valuable insights into the states of engagement and happiness across the globe.
Conducted annually by Gallup, the study delves deep into various facets of human well-being, encompassing emotional, social, and economic dimensions. Spanning diverse regions and cultures, the survey gives us a snapshot of the current state of engagement levels in the corporate arena worldwide.
Sadly, the findings for 2024 contain some troubling news for anyone tasked with managing a team.
Bottom line: workers in a post-Covid world are struggling when it comes to employee engagement levels. In the United States, only 30% of workers in 2024 said they were engaged with their work, dropping a whopping 3% from 2023—an 11-year low. Globally, the numbers get even worse, with global engagement levels stuck at a dismal 23%. This is not encouraging and demonstrates quite clearly that leaders everywhere have their work cut out for them.
Factors contributing to disengagement range from lack of recognition and career advancement opportunities to poor work-life balance and ineffective leadership. As remote and hybrid work models become increasingly prevalent, organizations are grappling with the complexities of fostering engagement and connectivity in a dispersed workforce. While remote work offers newfound flexibility and autonomy for many employees, it also presents challenges in maintaining a sense of belonging and cohesion for teams.
Engaged employees, those who are emotionally invested in and committed to their work, were found to exhibit higher levels of productivity, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Moreover, organizations with high levels of employee engagement experienced lower turnover rates and higher profitability, reaffirming the pivotal role of engagement in driving business outcomes.
So how can leaders improve employee engagement for their teams and organizations?
Here are five areas on which to focus:
- Build Relationships. Trust is essential between a boss and their teams to help create mutuality—the feeling that everyone is working toward a common goal. Stay connected to your team members and make sure you are listening to their ideas concerns.
- Develop Your Teams. Workers in 2024 (especially younger workers) not only want a boss, they want a mentor who will guide them and provide them with skills needed to advance and succeed in their career. Offer them frequent training and development opportunities.
- Recognize Excellence. Make sure you have a system in place to recognize and reward achievement within your team and company. People want to feel their work is appreciated and they are contributing to the overall success of the organization.
- Provide Specific Goals. Your team members aren’t mind readers. They need to know where they need to go and how you want them to get there, so make sure you are providing a clear roadmap and vision. This means constant and specific feedback for everyone.
Considering the benefits of an engaged workforce, now is the time to create an inspired, empowering workplace where employees can flourish and grow.