Dive Brief:
- A new study by Aon Hewitt, the talent, retirement and health solutions firm, found that employee engagement dipped for the first time since 2012. In one year alone, employee engagement dropped from 65% in 2015 to 63% in 2016.
- Of the 5 million workers surveyed in 1,000 organizations, Aon’s study found that 24% said they were highly engaged and 39% were moderately engaged.
- Ken Oehler, Aon Hewitt’s global culture & engagement practice leader, said the rise in global populism is creating anxiety in organizations that’s affecting employee engagement. “Along with rapid advances in technology that are increasingly threatening job security, fewer employees are engaged and we expect this trend to continue,” says Oehler.
Dive Insight:
Studies show that one of the top priorities in 2017 for HR is raising employee engagement. The decline in engagement will be troubling if it continues.
Employers might be able to reverse the trend in sliding engagement by emphasizing employee development, offering wellness programs if they don’t already, allowing workers more flexibility in their work schedules and ensuring that they have the training and tools needed to perform their jobs.
Employers can’t prevent workers from getting caught up in the nation’s or the world’s social and political fever. But they can discourage workers from making the workplace into a battleground over personal viewpoints.
