Employee Engagement Hits a Low

A recent Gallup survey shows employee engagement and satisfaction has declined for the second consecutive year, reaching its lowest level since 2015.

Survey Findings

Gallup surveyed 67,000 full- and part-time employees across various job types about specific workplace elements related to engagement. Approximately 32 percent of respondents reported they were engaged in their work, a 2 percent drop from last year. Engaged employees are “involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace.”

A reported 18 percent were actively disengaged, a 2 percent increase from last year. Actively disengaged employees are “disgruntled and disloyal” due to most of their workplace needs being unmet.

The engagement elements with the steepest decline since 2020 include:

• Clarity of expectations
• Connection to the mission or purpose of the company
• Opportunities to learn and grow
• Opportunities to do what employees do best
• Feeling cared about at work

Women reported a greater decline in engagement than men, and younger workers (under 35) dropped in engagement more than those age 35 or older.

Increasing Engagement

Engaged employees perform better and are more likely to remain with their employer. Gallup offers some suggestions for increasing employee engagement, such as:

• Ask for feedback
• Leverage the feedback into tangible change.
• Focus on clarifying expectations.
• Share and celebrate positive results among employees.

The following HR Services resources offer engagement and retention strategies:

HRX articles:

• Discouraging Teachers from Leaving Mid-Year
• Using Stay Interviews to Increase Employee Retention

HR Library (member login required):

• Employee Engagement

Additionally, TASB HR Services designs, administers, and reports the results of confidential, web-based employee opinion and engagement surveys suited to district’s individual needs. Surveys are customizable and can cover topics to help inform district leaders who are concerned with employee engagement, recruitment, and retention of staff. Reach out to HR Services at hrservices@tasb.org or 800-580-7782 for more information.

More findings from the Gallup survey can be found in the SHRM article Gallup: Employee Disengagement Hits 9-Year High and on the Gallup website.