Gallup Report: Employee Engagement and Workplace Stress at All-Time Highs

Gallup is a globally recognized name due to its market research and public opinion polls that are distributed worldwide. For years, Gallup has shared the “State of the Global Workplace” report on an annual basis. This report provides regional-specific insights into workforce topics such as employee engagement trends, hybrid work, the jobs market, and much more, all of which are important for shared services leaders navigating this crucial moment in time for businesses.

The following is a summary of the finding in Gallup’s 2023 report, which focuses on survey data collected throughout 2022. 

Employee Engagement

According to the Gallup report, employee engagement is at a record high with 23% of employees feeling engaged in their work, up from 21% in 2021.

This increase in employee engagement is encouraging and shows organizations need to continue being proactive in engaging their employees and creating a supportive work environment. 
Joe Clifton, CEO of Gallup, shared his thoughts on the survey's findings, saying “What can leaders do today to potentially save the world? Gallup has found one clear answer: Change the way your people are managed."

Shared services and GBS can be the leaders of delivering this change to their employees. Shared services leaders should make time to talk to employees on a regular basis, both formally and informally. These conversations not only comfort employees and make them more likely to engage at work but also help shape work arrangements that optimize employee productivity. 

Workplace Stress

While high employee engagement marks are promising signs of employee satisfaction, the Gallup report shows that many in the workforce are stressed and feeling burnt out.

Gallup research shows that a record-high 44% of survey respondents experienced a lot of stress the previous day. This is the second year in a row that Gallup reported record-high stress levels in the workplace. According to the report, stress levels among employees have been increasing over the past decade, and while the Covid pandemic heightened this anxiety, other factors, such as management, also play a large role in employee stress.

The employees struggling the most with stress are those in a hybrid work model (45%), while those on-site reported feeling the least amount of stress (38%).

In order to make their workplace feel better, 41% of respondents wanted their organization to focus more on engagement and culture. Specifically, employees want more autonomy in their work, approachable managers, and more learning opportunities. 28% of respondents said better pay and benefits would make their workplace better, while 16% wanted their organization to focus more on employee wellbeing.

The scope of the shared services and GBS model means it is positioned to lead the charge of bringing in resources that help employees with stress. This includes offerings such as employee assistance programs, meditation apps, and on-site wellness centers. 

Other Key Findings

While record high levels of employee engagement and workplace stress are the two most drastic findings from the Gallup report, there are several other data points worth mentioning, including: 

• Gallup defines quiet quitting as when an employee psychologically disengages from their work, and the report indicates that 6 out of 10 individuals fall into this category.
• Every region in the world saw an increase in the number of workers who believe now is a good time to find a new job. Specifically, North America and Oceania were the two regions where most people felt it was a good time to seek new opportunities.
• 51% of employees globally say they are actively seeking a new job or watching for new opportunities.
• 70% of employee engagement is driven by managers. However, 51% of managers surveyed indicated they are seeking new job opportunities.