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Playing games. Disengagement, which can contribute to decreased productivity and increased absenteeism, has reached historic levels among US workers. To inspire and reconnect with workers, some organizations are introducing gamification, researchers share in Harvard Business Review. Gamification can improve engagement because it enables workers to feel autonomous, competent, and connected. One US insurance company rewards its best-performing workers by allowing them to spin a “wheel of wow” to receive a prize. [HBR]
Low engagement. In the US, employee engagement has dropped to an 11-year low, according to a Gallup poll cited in Inc. From January 2024 to March 2024, engagement declined to 30%, slipping three percentage points below where it was in late 2023. The survey, which included about 18,700 people, found that engagement decreased notably among younger workers, fully remote workers, and workers who work only from the office but could work remotely. [Inc]
Dissatisfied workers. Many workers are disengaged, which may destroy productivity and value. How can employers help boost morale and motivate employees? One way to start is by identifying where they fall on a satisfaction spectrum, McKinsey senior partner Aaron De Smet and coauthors explain. A McKinsey survey of more than 14,000 individuals found that, in any given organization, workers fall into six categories based on how satisfied they are. They range from the thriving stars who create value to the quitters who intend to leave.
Pursuing purpose. An authentic corporate purpose can improve engagement. Employees whose sense of purpose connects with their companies’ are five times more likely than their peers to feel fulfilled at work, a McKinsey survey has shown. Empathetic leadership can also strengthen worker well-being and morale and help reduce burnout. See the McKinsey Quarterly Five Fifty for six factors that, if prioritized, could help companies reengage workers and recapture millions of dollars in potential lost value each year.
—Edited by Belinda Yu, editor, Atlanta
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