Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report shows that employee engagement has fallen for the second consecutive time in 12 year. The 2% decline – from 23 to 21 % – is the same as the drop seen in 2020, during the Covid-19 Lockdowns.
It is alarming that we have returned to the level of engagement last seen during the peak of the pandemic. The period of the pandemic was marked by widespread uncertainty, stay-at home orders, and unprecedented disruption. It was not surprising that engagement dropped during this period.
How did organizations get it so wrong by 2024?
The drop in manager engagement
Gallup’s report 2025 identifies a core cause: the sharp decline in managers’ engagement. The decline in engagement among managers was the most dramatic of any employee group, regardless of gender, age or job role.
Gallup 2025 Key Stats:
- The percentage of managers who are engaged has dropped from 30% to just 27%.
- Engagement of individual contributors remained stable at 18%.
- Engagement dropped by 5% for managers under the age of 35.
- Both the level of female manager satisfaction and well-being has fallen by 7%.
- The wellbeing of older managers decreased by 5%.
Managers caught between the two
In the last five years, business has been undergoing constant change – from budget cuts to high turnover. Managers have been caught between top-down demands and frontline pressures.
Gallup says: “Managers have an almost impossible job to make it all work.”
What comes next?
HRZone asked HR leaders to discuss the engagement crisis and what organisations can do in light of Gallup 2025’s findings.
Stop expecting managers to perform the impossible
Blaire Parker is a keynote speaker and the author of ” Punks In Suits – Leading workplace reformation“.
Managers, especially middle managers, have a difficult job communicating and implementing decisions that are not popular from above. They lack the leadership skills and resources to bring about change. The managers are the first to blame when these decisions fail to produce results.
It’s not surprising that they are feeling increasingly disengaged, and their wellbeing is declining. Gallup’s report 2025 emphasizes the importance of improving manager training and development, but I believe the problem is more serious than that. Stop expecting managers to achieve the impossible. Hit tougher targets in less time with fewer staff. Make decisions that are realistically achievable with the available resources or involve managers in problem-solving processes so that they can come up solutions that work on the ground.”
“You can still achieve bold results with less people, but you need creative solutions.” You can’t do things the same as you used to when you had more resources and people. “By pushing information and decision making authority down the organization, and providing managers with training so they can lead change and make good decisions, you can still achieve results for your business without having to pay the price.
Our colleagues are suffering from “sadness, anxiety and despair”.
Bruce Daisley is a 2x Sunday Times Best Seller, former VP of a tech firm, and he is the LinkedIn Top Voice for Work & Workplace Culture.
The annual Gallup report is always a source of much confusion. Human resource directors will often dismiss engagement levels so low they should be a sign of a national crisis by saying that “our engagement is higher than that”.
Everyone measures things differently. Gallup’s levels are my preference as they seem to capture the sadness, stress and depression that I can see in our colleagues’ eyes.
The success of AI should not come at the cost of human beings.
Yasmine Alami Director of Transformation at Media Zoo
“It is disappointing but not surprising to see engagement slip after years of slow improvement. Employees are more disengaged than ever, caught in a cycle of constant change, post-pandemic pressures, and organisations that don’t invest enough in inclusion and belonging. The crunch is often on the managers: they are overwhelmed and under-resourced. “Organisations must invest in managers in order to help them build trust, coach their teams and learn how to create meaningful connections.”
Humans should not be sacrificed to achieve the success of AI. The key to lasting success is people. We risk seeing engagement numbers drop year after year if we don’t focus on culture and community on every level. This has a real and measurable impact on retention and productivity. “Transformations of this magnitude require conscious and intentional leadership.”
We need to redesign management roles to give managers more time to manage.
Idris Ashad is the Head of People Asthma & Lung UK and Top 10 Most Influential HR Practitioners 2024.
HR must play a role in supporting line managers to be more effective at managing. As HR professionals, our first step is to redesign management roles to give managers more time and space to be able to manage. Then, we need to create in-house training for managers to teach them how to run within the organization. Coaching them through HR Business Partnering is an important part of their performance and development. “Discussing their career development and progress is important to help them feel engaged.”
