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No matter what you call it — quiet quitting, acting your wage or coasting — it’s clear that workers today have different views about what engagement looks like. A 2022 Gallup poll shows that only 32 percent of employees are truly engaged at work, while the percentage of actively disengaged employees has risen from 14 to 18 percent since 2020.
While Gallup’s 2022 data isn’t dramatically different from engagement trends over the past 20 years, there are findings specific to younger workers that should concern employers. These include:
- A 10 percent decline in those who agree that someone cares about them, someone encourages their development, and they have opportunities to learn and grow.
- A 12 percent decline in fully remote and hybrid young workers who strongly agree that someone encourages their development.
- Less than four in 10 of young remote or hybrid employees clearly know what is expected of them at work.
While there are likely several issues driving a lack of engagement in younger workers, there are things you can do to make them feel valued and part of the team.
- Ask them what they want and need: Don’t look to TikTok for answers on what workers need. Do your own research. Ask employees what they want, need and value in their work life now, so they can have balance and feel motivated to give their best at work. Surveys, focus groups, one-on-one conversations and exit interviews are useful tools for gathering this information.
- Involve managers: Managers play a critical role in employee engagement, especially now, when so many companies are at a loss to explain why employees are shutting down and/or leaving. Make sure all your people leaders have the information, tools and resources needed to connect with employees, identify issues, provide timely direction and support, and help create a welcoming, safe and stimulating workplace culture.
- Build morale and motivation: Help managers with ideas to engage and involve team members, such as group challenges, competitions or even community projects. Encourage group strategy sessions to give employees an opportunity to contribute ideas that can benefit their work experience and team performance. To ensure everyone’s voice is heard, be sure to include remote and hybrid employees.
- Reintroduce your vision and values: It may be time to remind employees about your organization’s reason for being — who you are, your purpose and what you stand for. Are employees clear on how their job and their individual performance impacts their team and the overall organization? Do they know what is expected of them?
- Use the power of the executive "thank you": When an employee or a team accomplishes an important task or achieves something above and beyond the norm, a personal congratulatory phone call from a company leader speaks volumes. A leadership "thank you" is a powerful motivator that can re-engage your most valuable employees.
Day after day, news headlines share changing and often contradictory findings on what today’s employees want. You may even find in your own organization that opinions differ widely on what employees need in their work lives. The best you can do is to ask questions, listen, learn and adapt as workers’ needs continue to evolve.
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