Key Employee Engagement Statistics to Build a Happy Workforce in 2024

It’s time to go beyond implementing the employee engagement softwares and take learned steps based on employee engagement statistics to build a happy workforce in 2024. Workplace engagement among employees is a challenge that most employers face. It can mean the difference between your company just getting by or successfully reaching its goals.

It also speaks volumes about your employees' wholehearted commitment to their work, their team, and the organization's overarching mission.

Given the rapid pace at which the business environment is changing, companies are finding it more challenging to recruit and retain top talent. Lack of engagement or commitment to the organization can lead to companies losing the most valued employees.

This, in turn, leads to massive expenditure in looking for, hiring, and training new talent. So, how can positively engaging your employees help you? A Gallup study on State of the Global Workforce Report 2023 has found that 23% of the employees are only engaged at work, which is reportedly a record high. 

This states that employee engagement is critical to the success of a company. An engaged employee is productive, creative, and committed to the organization’s goals. The benefits of having engaged employees are vast and far-reaching. Engaged employees are more likely to stay with a company, reducing turnover costs. They are also more likely to be productive, which can lead to increased profits.

This, in turn, leads to massive expenditure in looking for, hiring, and training new talent. So, how can positively engaging your employees help you?

Employee engagement is critical to the success of a company. An engaged employee is productive, creative, and committed to the organization’s goals. The benefits of having engaged employees are vast and far-reaching. Engaged employees are more likely to stay with a company, reducing turnover costs. They are also more likely to be productive, which can lead to increased profits.

15 Important employee engagement statistics you must swear by

Here are the 15 statistics around employee engagement that you should know:

1. Only about 38% of Americans are actively engaged with their work.

With only 38% of Americans being actively engaged with their work, the challenge of improving employee engagement is more than necessary.

Organizations need to find ways to improve engagement so that they and their employees can benefit together.

2. Only 21% of employees feel comfortable being entirely truthful about what they want in terms of their work experience.

Given these workplace engagement statistics, HR managers must make it their mission to ensure a free and open atmosphere at their workplaces.

This will ensure that employees can feel comfortable communicating any grievances and concerns but be truthful about them, thus improving any problem areas.

Eventually, this will increase its goodwill toward its employees and increase their productivity.

3. 71% of executives say employee engagement is critical to their company's success.

High employee engagement has a long list of benefits. It can increase productivity and loyalty, reduce absenteeism, increase profitability, and contribute to your employees' positive health, both mental and physical.

All these factors work in tandem and are crucial to a company's success.

Engaged employees who feel valued and loyal will contribute far more towards your company's success than several disengaged employees combined.

4. 65% of employees prefer their responsibilities to be more clearly defined.

As per employee engagement stats, clarity always leads to efficiency. When employees know exactly what's expected of them, they have a direction to focus their effort and hard work.

In short, when they understand expectations, they inevitably perform better. It always helps show your employees how their role contributes significantly to the organization's mission, motivating them to achieve better.

5. Among those employees who are highly engaged, only one in four (21%) report having a high-quality experience.

Employee Engagement statistics don’t always communicate a fuller picture of the trends in their workplace.

As this study shows, only one in four of the most highly engaged employees reports having a high-quality experience at their workplaces.

This should focus on HR managers as ensuring that your employees have a positive experience at work is fundamental to their increased productivity.

6. Half of the employees are willing to sacrifice almost 29% of the salary for a job they like.

Over time, with job diversity increasing, the focus on doing what one loves increases. Employees are now more than ever willing to work in a job they enjoy for less pay than one that pays them more.

The willingness to switch jobs for almost 29% less salary is alarming and should serve as a wake-up call to organizations to keep their employees better engaged and motivated.

7. Only 20% of employees strongly feel like they've had a conversation about achieving their goals with their managers.

Employees in every organization aim to climb the corporate ladder and grow throughout their professional lives. Often, their managers have a pivotal role in motivating them and providing them a pathway to do so.

However, according to employee engagement statistics by Gallup, only about 20% of employees feel like they've had a conversation with their managers about achieving their professional goals.

A stagnant career trajectory doesn't help anyone; it reduces the employee's engagement and, in turn, their contribution to the company they work for.

8. Only 19% of employees who are very engaged are planning on staying at their company for a long time.

According to this recent study, only 19% of engaged employees are willing to stay in the same company for a longer time.

This shows that it takes more than just keeping your employees engaged to retain them for a longer period and reduce your turnover.

9. 71% of employees said they would quit if they found a new job that gave them the option of flexible scheduling.

The emphasis on better work-life balance is ever-increasing, and companies need to take note of this trend with urgency if they aim to retain employees for longer periods.

Employees are now looking for jobs that give them the flexibility to work according to their own time and from their own homes, with 71% saying that they'd quit their current jobs if another offered them these benefits.

10. 18% of Millennials are not satisfied with their work-life balance.

Over time, employees become increasingly conscious about maintaining a good work-life balance.

And employee disengagement statistics suggest that this trend is especially so among millennials and will only increase as post-millennials enter workplaces. Several GenX and boomers also feel the same way.

Facilitating the environment for your employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance can significantly help improve their productivity and contribution to your company.

11. 85% of Human Resources Leaders say that ensuring their employees' well-being is their most valuable capability.

Ensuring your employees' well-being is crucial to your company's profitability. The role of Human Resources is key in achieving this.

However, despite this, a recent survey suggests that only 24% of HR leaders focus on improving their employees' experience at work.

If this changes, companies can ensure that their employees are healthier, both mentally and physically, thus contributing far more to their organizations.

12. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 53% of employees say that they feel more exhausted.

A recent survey by Harvard Business Review states that 53% of employees said they were feeling more exhausted.

With people having to work from home during the pandemic and balancing their work and personal lives simultaneously, exhaustion is setting in as an inevitable consequence.

Given that this is set to be the "new normal" for several companies, the top management must find ways to ensure that their employees can balance their personal and work lives better, thus ensuring productivity.

13. 41% of people who clock in 50+ hours state that their company doesn’t offer a burnout program at all.

When professional pressures are increasing, and even more so due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the figures surrounding burnout programs are startling. 36% have no idea that these are even an option.

With mental and physical exhaustion being common, companies must strive to ensure that their employees’ well-being is their topmost priority to ensure that the company prospers.

14. 1 in every 3 employees cites boredom as their primary reason for leaving a job.

Working in an environment that challenges them is a very lucrative aspect for an employee in the market. A dynamic work environment ensures that employees don't get bored with the work that they're doing, thereby keeping them motivated to perform better.

However, with 1 in every three employees citing boredom as their reason for leaving their jobs, employers need to keep them better engaged and thus retain them for more extended periods.

15. Companies with engaged employees had 89% greater customer satisfaction and 50% higher customer loyalty than those with disengaged employees.

Highly engaged employees don't just impact operations within an organization but also its customers. It's no doubt that 89% of customers were more satisfied when dealing with an engaged employee.

As per workplace engagement statistics, a company will cease to exist if it cannot reel in new customers and ensure their loyalty.

One of the most reliable ways to ensure this is to keep your employees engaged and make them believe that they have a stake in the larger interests of the company.

Choosing the best employee engagement software

Empuls is one of the best employee engagement softwares built to suit organizations of all sizes.

It is an all-in-one employee engagement and motivation platform that offers rewards & recognition, pulse surveys, eNPS surveys, 1-on-1 feedback, social intranet, and people analytics in one powerful solution.

Trusted by 1000+ brands across the globe, Empuls helps organizations to build high-performing teams that are aligned to organizational culture and values. Empuls also makes it simple to connect and engage your workforce, wherever they are.

Case Study: How Xoxoday Powered HCL's Employee Engagement With Experiential Rewards

Final Thoughts

Every organization operates differently and has different goals. However, the only way you can meet these goals is by ensuring that your employees are just as invested in your company's success as you are.

Taking note of the relevant employee engagement statistics to make positive changes in the workplace can contribute greatly to your company's growth. Visit our blog to find out how you can make your organization the top choice for a professional.