The Sad State of Employee Engagement

The percentage of adults who work full time for an employer and are engaged at work – that is they are highly involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace – is about 10% across western Europe.
That’s according to research by Gallup.[1] “Though engagement levels vary considerably by country and region, in no country does the proportion of the employed residents who are engaged in their job exceed about four in 10,” its report on the state of the global workforce concludes.
By contrast, among the world’s most highly engaged workforces, including the U.S., more than 30% of employees are engaged, the report states.
It’s a sad indictment on companies in Europe and the UK. It’s also worrying because a disengaged workforce is far less productive than an engaged, motivated one. Gallup says it’s found that business units with highly motivated employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable than those with disengaged employees.
Not only do engaged employees perform better but they’re also more innovative than others. They’re more likely to want to stay with their current employer, and they also perceive their workload to be more sustainable.
“European firms must adopt management strategies that more effectively prioritise employee development, positivity and future orientation,” Gallup says. “For many, this represents a substantial cultural transformation. But in the absence of workplaces that fuel human capital development, businesses across the continent will continue to lack a sustainable foundation for addressing their productivity problems.”
Mike Turner, the Managing Director of You Become, set up his company in 2004 with a mission to help improve the levels of employee engagement in UK companies. You Become is now considered a leader in employee engagement, organisational culture.
“I had this yearning to set up my business and help organisations to appreciate how to take care of their people and manage them effectively,” he reveals in his latest video.
“There is such a need for the vast majority of businesses in the UK to properly understand how to manage and motivate someone to work effectively,” he says. “It’s so important for businesses to really take care of every single individual and help them to become the best that they can be.”
If you need help or would like to discuss any issue that this video series raises, please call a member of our team on 01932 977 090. You Become is a leading expert in employee engagement and organisational for ambitious UK companies.
[1] ‘Gallup State of the Global Workforce Report 2017’, Gallup, www.gallup.com