Engaged with work? Meh 

With income taxes due today – Monday, April 15 – we wanted to note a recent Gallup report, which found that only 33% of employees were engaged in their jobs in 2023, leaving a substantial portion either disengaged or actively disconnected from their work. This disengagement doesn’t just create a lackluster atmosphere; it exacts a heavy toll on productivity, costing companies an estimated $1.9 trillion in lost output.

However, there’s a glimmer of hope. The percentage of actively disengaged workers – the so-called “loud quitting” of people who make a fuss before resigning – declined to 16% in 2023, suggesting that change is possible. But to tackle this issue, business leaders need to confront the root causes, which the report said go beyond the usual complaints about inadequate salary/benefits and increased workload. The survey and in particular Gallup’s guide to improving engagement identified more existential problems and solutions that revolve around employees feeling that they’re not valued as workers and as people. 

Instead of focusing merely on paycheck, job satisfaction, annual reviews and employee weaknesses, the improvement survey suggested that managers – many of whom might be new to their positions and lack adequate training themselves post-pandemic – need to think about purpose, job development, ongoing coaching and conversations, performance strengths and the famously elusive work-life balance when thinking of their employees. 

The bottom line for the bottom line:  Communication and empathy go a long way.