Gallup’s State Of The Global Workplace 2025
Investing In managers
In 2024, the global % of engaged employees fell from 23% to 21%. (equal to the significant drop during the year of COVID lockdowns, remote work, etc.)
Gallup’s data show that the world’s workplace is not headed in the right direction.
• Engaged employees are thriving at work.
• Not engaged employees are quietly quitting.
• Actively disengaged employees are loudly quitting.
What caused this decline = Manager engagement fell. Especially younger management, under 35 years, with higher proportion of female managers.
70% of team engagement is attributable to the manager.
• The data shows that employees, particularly managers, feel disconnected. Managers have the impossible task of “making it all work in the real world”.
• Manager engagement affects team engagement, which affects productivity. If managers are disengaged, their teams are, too.
• Snapshot of the workforce on the cusp of seismic change, future shaped by AI.
• Could AI diminish engagement by severing the vital human bonds; friendships, sense of being heard, genuine care from colleagues – that keeps teams thriving?
Half of employees who are engaged at work are thriving in life overall, compared with only a third of employees who are not engaged. Engaged employees are also less likely to report experiencing daily negative emotions, including stress.
Gallup’s suggested path to global productivity.
1. Ensure all managers receive training to cut extreme manager disengagement in half. Less than half of the world’s managers (44%) say they have received management training.
2. Teach managers effective coaching techniques to boost manager performance by 20-28%. Some managers have a natural gift for inspiring and developing people, but many do not. Effective coaching can be taught.
3. Increase manager wellbeing by 32% through ongoing manager development. When we consider the influence of great managers on their teams, manager training and development may be one of the most effective ‘wellbeing initiatives’ employers can invest in.