When your employees are fully engaged with their work, magic happens: productivity rises, costs go down, employees work harder, and stay with the company. Unfortunately, employee engagement statistics show that far too many employees are feeling burned out, disengaged, unappreciated, bored, and ready to move on.

Few companies look forward to the hiring process. If you want your team to stay engaged, focused, and excited to show up each day, dig into the employee engagement statistics below. They might just transform the way you do business.

1. 16% of employees are actively disengaged at work

Employee engagement is on the decline. Since 2021, about 16% of employees report being “actively disengaged” at work. Only 34% reported being actively engaged. Managers and healthcare workers are the most disengaged. While the COVID-19 pandemic certainly contributed to the problem, it indicates a more widespread issue. Employee engagement is down across the board, and it’s up to employers to make important changes.

2. Disengaged employees cost companies $350 billion each year

The cost of disengagement isn’t just miserable employees. Disengaged employees cost their companies 34% of their salary, which translates to $350 billion per year. Disengagement leads to higher absenteeism, lower productivity, and lower profitability.

3. 71% of executives believe employee engagement is critical to a company’s success

If disengagement costs companies money, it stands to reason that employee engagement is important to your business’s success. Harvard Business Review reports that 71% of execs believe that employee engagement is critical to their company’s success. When your workers are happy and interested in their work, they’re more likely to go above and beyond.

4. Companies with more engaged employees are 21% more profitable

Even in a tough economy, you can still maintain an edge. Companies with more engaged employees were found to be 21% more profitable than those who reported a high level of disengagement. Those scoring in the top half of the engagement spectrum almost doubled the odds of success.

5. 61% of workers are burned out

61% of workers report burnout, with women reporting higher stress levels than men. Even employees with paid vacation feel like they can’t get away—and when they do, 30% of workers stay connected even during their vacation. If you want to avoid employee burnout and disengagement, it’s important that you make sure your workers actually take some time off.

6. 73% of employees would consider leaving their jobs for the right offer

Disengagement is bad for productivity and profitability, but it’s also bad for worker retention: 73% of employees say that they’d consider leaving their current jobs for the right offer. In fact, they’re actively looking. The Great Resignation isn’t over yet: more than a quarter of those surveyed said they’d quit their jobs, even if they didn’t have a new one lined up.

7. 33% of those who change jobs do so out of boredom

Boredom is a major cause of employee disengagement. A third of workers who change their jobs do so because the work isn’t stimulating enough. If you want to retain your top performers, make sure they have interesting and challenging tasks to accomplish. When an employee feels like their skills are going to waste, they’re more likely to look elsewhere.

8. 31% of workers are engaged but believe their companies could improve their experience

The worker experience can make a big difference in whether an employee chooses to stay. It’s worth examining whether there’s anything you can do to make improvements: 31% of actively engaged workers feel like their companies could still foster a better environment. About 16% of employees think their employers are horrible at soliciting feedback, while 40% think they’re just okay.

9. Employees are 6 times more likely to feel engaged if they’re able to use their strengths at work

One way to improve the employee experience is to make sure your workers are using their strengths on the job. When you solicit feedback (which you should be doing more than once or twice per year), ask your employees what they believe their strengths are and how they’d like to use them on the job. They’re 6 times more likely to feel engaged when they feel they’re using their talents.

10. 69% of workers say they’d work harder if they felt more appreciated by their employers

Employee appreciation directly impacts engagement. Nearly 70% of workers say that they’d work even harder if they felt like their employers appreciated them. Yes, they’re getting paid—but positive feedback can make a big difference in how engaged they are on the job. Even constructive criticism is better than no feedback at all. The next time your employees perform well, make sure to recognize them!

11. 55% of companies regularly collect employee engagement data

Understanding how many employees feel engaged at any given time—and the reasons for their engagement level—is valuable information. Yet, only 55% of companies regularly collect employee engagement data, which is a major oversight on the remaining companies’ parts. Take the time to survey your employees about job satisfaction. Then, use that information to shape a workplace culture people enjoy being part of.

12. Employee engagement is twice as high at companies where feedback is turned into action

Don’t just collect employee engagement data—make the effort to use it. When employers use feedback to make changes, both small and large, employee engagement is twice as high as it would have been normally. Consider their feedback your action plan, and watch how engagement skyrockets.

If there’s one thing employers can and should do based on these employee engagement statistics, it’s foster better engagement among their workforce. Not only will it benefit your company in terms of productivity and profit, but your turnover rate will drop, your employees will be happier, and your reputation will grow. 

Ask for feedback frequently; then, take action to ensure your company is positioned for success for the long term.

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Sources for Statistics

Stats listed by the reference number in the article.

  1. Gallup: U.S. Employee Engagement Drops for First Year in a Decade
  2. Forbes: How Much Are Your Disengaged Employees Costing You?
  3. HBR: The Impact of Employee Engagement on Performance
  4. Gallup: How Employee Engagement Drives Growth
  5. CareerBuilder: Do American Workers Need a Vacation?
  6. Business Insider: Great Resignation Labor Shortage
  7. Kornferry: Breaking Boredom
  8. Achievers: Employees Plan to Stay in Their Jobs
  9. Gallup: An Effective Strengths Program
  10. Linked in: 5 Employee Feedback Stats That You Need to See
  11. Predictive Index: The State of Talent Optimization
  12. Qualtrics: 2020 Global Employee Experience Trends