It’s great that employee engagement increased in the most recent Gallop Employee Engagement survey. And that those reported as actively disengaged dropped to only 13%. But that still leaves employees who are ‘not engaged’ making up over half of the workforce.
Gallop defines the ‘not engaged’ category as “generally satisfied, but are not cognitively and emotionally connected to their work and workplace. They will usually show up to work and do the minimum required but will quickly leave the company for a slightly better offer.”
When “at least 70% of the variance in team engagement is explained by the quality of the manager or team leader”, a question of culture comes into view.
It’s not so much about disengaged employees as it is disruptive and counter-productive management and leadership practices.
Emotionally intelligent leaders have tangible benefits to your bottom line, just as Toxic leaders have costs to it. If your work environment protects the toxic and disregards or punishes the Emotionally Intelligent, then your workplace culture is set up for marginal employee engagement.
Employee engagement is more than a number. It’s a pulse to the health of your company and the health of your culture. As CEO, you set the tone for your organization’s culture. So if you like what you see in the numbers, keep on doing what you’re doing. But if you don’t, it’s time to give your culture a wellness exam.
Check out this article to learn more about Gallop’s Engagement Survey findings.