Engagement not only matters to the livelihood of employers and their workers but can also play a major role in business outcomes.  When employees are not fully engaged, organizations suffer, ultimately costing the global economy billions of dollars.  In contrast, companies with high engagement perform better — through higher stock prices, higher productivity, lower turnover and greater customer satisfaction.

Marcus Buckingham, Head of Research, People & Performance for the ADP Research Institute, delved into the key drivers of employee engagement during his keynote, “What Truly Drives Engagement Around the World”, at this year’s HR Technology Conference & Expo.

Based on the ADP Research Institute’s 19-Country Global Study of Engagement study released earlier this year, Buckingham laid out a clear overview of the state of employee engagement in this country: only about 16% of employees are fully engaged, a number that has not changed much since 2015.  This means that 84% of workers are just “coming to work,” rather than contributing all they could to their organizations.

When looking outside of the U.S., Buckingham revealed that the United Arab Emirates has the highest percentage of fully engaged workers at 26%, while China has the lowest with just 6%.

What conditions at work are most likely to attract and keep workers?  Buckingham detailed one common denominator: working on a team improves engagement.

“Regardless of demographics, work status or location, being on a team increases employee engagement,” said Buckingham.  “It’s important for everyone, including gig workers, to regularly work with others, to have a sense of belonging, and trust their leaders.  In fact, employees who identify as part of a team are 2.3 times more likely to be fully engaged.”

Buckingham went on to point out that engagement further extends into the hierarchy and managerial structure of the workplace.  ADP research showed that trust is a foundation of engagement and employees who trust their team leader are 12 times more likely to be fully engaged in their work.

Engagement not only matters to the livelihood of employers and their workers but can also play a major role in business outcomes.  When employees are not fully engaged, organizations suffer, ultimately costing the global economy billions of dollars.  In contrast, companies with high engagement perform better — through higher stock prices, higher productivity, lower turnover and greater customer satisfaction.

Marcus Buckingham, Head of Research, People & Performance for the ADP Research Institute, delved into the key drivers of employee engagement during his keynote, “What Truly Drives Engagement Around the World”, at this year’s HR Technology Conference & Expo.

Based on the ADP Research Institute’s 19-Country Global Study of Engagement study released earlier this year, Buckingham laid out a clear overview of the state of employee engagement in this country: only about 16% of employees are fully engaged, a number that has not changed much since 2015.  This means that 84% of workers are just “coming to work,” rather than contributing all they could to their organizations.

When looking outside of the U.S., Buckingham revealed that the United Arab Emirates has the highest percentage of fully engaged workers at 26%, while China has the lowest with just 6%.

What conditions at work are most likely to attract and keep workers?  Buckingham detailed one common denominator: working on a team improves engagement.

“Regardless of demographics, work status or location, being on a team increases employee engagement,” said Buckingham.  “It’s important for everyone, including gig workers, to regularly work with others, to have a sense of belonging, and trust their leaders.  In fact, employees who identify as part of a team are 2.3 times more likely to be fully engaged.”

Buckingham went on to point out that engagement further extends into the hierarchy and managerial structure of the workplace.  ADP research showed that trust is a foundation of engagement and employees who trust their team leader are 12 times more likely to be fully engaged in their work.