Respected business resource Gallup has published a compelling study titled State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for US Business Leaders. The report has revealed low levels of engagement among US employees – in fact, a mere 30% of Americans surveyed were deemed to be engaged at work.
What does this mean for their employers, and what steps can be taken to rectify the situation?
The Gallup survey covered more than 150,000 American employees of various education levels, working in various industries. Those surveyed were categorised as follows:
1. Actively engaged – involved, enthusiastic and willing to go the extra mile for their company
2. Not engaged – putting in time but emotionally disconnected from work
3. Actively disengaged – unhappy at work and likely to act out that unhappiness
To measure engagement, Gallup used the time-tested Q12 survey, which examines 12 areas of the employee’s workplace that have been proven to affect performance. Findings showed that throughout the American workplace, 52% of those surveyed can be classified as “not engaged”, and 18% are classified as “actively disengaged”. Interestingly, Gallup’s graph below shows little fluctuation over the past 12 years. This is a point of concern not only for business owners but for the economy as a whole.
Find the full survey details here.
It should go without saying that this is something business leaders and managers need to take steps to change. Engaged employees are typically productive and co-operative, ultimately boosting the company’s bottom line. On the other hand, dissatisfied, disengaged workers are more likely to disrupt productivity and lower workplace morale, essentially undermining the achievements of their engaged counterparts. The good news is that there are a number of steps business owners can take to improve and accelerate employee engagement levels within their company:
Ask the right questions and take action
It’s important to get your employees’ input, and equally important to act on the feedback you receive from them. Use a suitable survey to collect relevant, actionable data that affects key performance metrics, so you can use these questions to determine how engaged your employees are and identify the factors affecting their engagement. For example, does your team have the materials and equipment needed to carry out their work? Are they in the most suitable office environment? Are they receiving support and constructive feedback from their supervisors?
Hire the right people from the top down
Managers and executives play a key role in workplace momentum. In fact, Gallup’s survey shows that 36% of managers and executives can currently be categorised as “engaged”, which is a 10-point improvement from 2009. To minimise disengagement in your workforce, be sure to select managers with the right qualities to motivate and empower your employees, and make sure these managers are properly coached on engaging with staff.
Choose the right space for workplace wellbeing
Gallup’s research has shown that more engaged employees typically have better health, higher productivity and lower rates of absenteeism, so focus on ways to keep your workforce a happy, healthy one. We recently blogged about how the office environment can directly impact workforce wellbeing, and concluded that the right office space can help attract (and retain) the right people – specifically, motivated and engaged employees who will be assets to the company.
What are you doing to enhance employee engagement in your business? How do you keep your team motivated and enthusiastic? It could be your team needs an office space with greater flexibility and better design to boost engagement and promote the growth of your business.