A 2008 Gallup poll revealed that only 29 percent of employees are engaged in their jobs. Let’s look at that number again. Less than one third of workers are actively engaged in their jobs, looking for ways to improve their productivity, or contributing to the organization in an effective way.
The Human Capital Institute released research earlier this year entitled “The Return on Engagement” which reports the tremendous cost of having the majority of the workforce disengaged. In total, employee disengagement is estimated to cost the US economy as much as 350 billion dollars per year in lost productivity, accidents, theft and turnover.
Clearly those that disregard the importance of employee engagement do so at their peril. The corollary is also true. Those organizations that can create higher employee engagement will enjoy a significant advantage over their competition. Learning organizations can be key partners in making that happen.
Take one important component of engagement. A 2008 study by ASTD research showed that good relationships between employees and immediate supervisors are THE key driver in employee engagement. How key? 91 percent – nearly all – respondents indicated the relationship with their immediate supervisor drove their engagement level to a high or very high extent. Leadership development programs can play a big role in keeping engagement high by improving supervisory skills. To the extent that training programs improve the climate, the organization will enjoy the engagement advantage.
What other drivers of engagement do you think learning organizations can influence the most?
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