120 Employee Engagement Statistics – Why Employee Engagement Is Important


If you are new to the business world, you will find the term ‘employee engagement’ popping up everywhere. So let’s understand what does the term actually means:

Simply put, ‘Employee Engagement is an emotional connection that an employee has towards his or her organization, which influences his or her behavior in the workplace activities. Hence, more employees engaged leads to greater effort, increased innovation. productivity and better results.

Why is employee engagement important?

Employee engagement goes way beyond activities or events in the organization. Employee engagement is the driving force behind employee performance. Employees who are engaged understand the purpose of the organization, and how and where they fit in. It not only leads to better decision-making but also helps the organization to surpass its competition. Engagement plays a key role when it comes to the innovation and growth of a company.

Five benefits of effective employee engagement in the workplace:

  • Higher level of productivity.

  • A boost to the work environment.

  • Better retention rate of the top performer.

  • Increased sense of well-being and health.

  • Drop in the healthcare costs.

Employee engagement is crucial for every organization. But it is difficult to measure, improve and benchmark as every organization is different. It is therefore essential to stay up to date with the current employee engagement data and trends for improving employee engagement at your organization.

So, here’s a quick summary of what the employee engagement statistics below tell us:

  • There is a large number of employees that are not engaged at work, with remote workers being the least engaged,
  • Employee engagement is not a priority for every organization,
  • To have disengaged employees in an organization can turn out to be extremely costly, in regards to profit or revenue generation and competitiveness,
  • The culture of an organization plays a huge role in keeping employees engagement.
  • An Organization that promotes employee engagement not only encourages internal activities and productivity but also positively impact their overall brand exposure.
  • The statistics show that the employees who are engaged are more productive and are more likely to stick to the organization, even in the long-run. 

You can make use of the statistics to explore areas of concern in your organization, where engagement can enhance and develop your business.

Here are 120 employee engagement statistics that you should surely look into:

120 Employee Engagement Statistics

1. 36% of the organizations see employee engagement as a top challenge- GloboforceOpens in a new tab.

2. 78% of businesses have a recorded employee engagement strategy and about 50% measure the success of it- Maritz MotivationOpens in a new tab.

3. Companies with high employee engagement outshine those with low employee engagement by 202%- Business2CommunityOpens in a new tab.

4. 37% of employees are engaged, 56% of employees are not engaged, and 73% of the actively disengaged employees are looking for new job opportunities or are open to it- GallupOpens in a new tab.

5. The employees who have disengaged cost businesses up to $450 and 550 billion dollars annually- The Engagement InstituteOpens in a new tab.

6. Financial service and heavy manufacturing service industries are the ones with the highest employee engagement- Modern SurveyOpens in a new tab.

7. Light manufacturing, hospitality, and the government industries are with the most disengaged employees- Modern SurveyOpens in a new tab.

8. The best-known methods to actively engage and drive employee engagement are: drafting employee engagement surveys (55%) and building employee resource groups (20%)- CultureIQOpens in a new tab.

9. The strongest engagement driver believes in senior leadership, with growth and development placed second- Modern SurveyOpens in a new tab.

10. According to 53% of the HR professionals, employee engagement rises with the improvement in onboarding-  SilkRoadOpens in a new tab.

11. The origin of workplace stress: Heavy workload and deadlines (33%), achieving balance in work-place (22%), impractical expectations of managers (22%) and conflict between coworkers (15%)- AccountempsOpens in a new tab.

12. According to 92% of the employees, having the technology to do their job efficiently impacts work satisfaction- Ultimate SoftwareOpens in a new tab.

13. 80% of employees feel more engaged at the workplace when their work is consistent with the values and mission of the company- IBM

14. Employees who utilize their abilities, strengths and skills every day are 15% less likely to leave their job, 8% more productive, and six times more likely to be engaged at their workplace- GallupOpens in a new tab.

15. 83% of the employees who have opportunities to take on new challenges within the company are more likely to stick with an organization- ReportLinkerOpens in a new tab.

16. 70% of employees who are given the authority to take action when an opportunity or a problem arises at the workplace, consider this as an important element of engagement- SHRMOpens in a new tab.

17. 82% of the employees say that they will be more loyal to their employers if they have flexible work opportunity- FlexjobsOpens in a new tab.

18. An employee whose voice is heard at the workplace are 4.6 times more likely to give their best performance- SalesforceOpens in a new tab.

19. 45% of the employees say that they would feel more engaged with the workplace if their employer helped them to learn more about the impact of deductions and taxes- KronosOpens in a new tab.

20. According to 92% of employees, a display of empathy is important for employee retention- BusinessolverOpens in a new tab.

21. According to 70% of the employees, motivation and morale can boost massively if senior leaders said thank you more- Reward GatewayOpens in a new tab.

22. 85% of employees say that they will stick longer with the company if their employer shows a higher level of social responsibility- Ultimate SoftwareOpens in a new tab.

23. The teams that are highly engaged in an organization result in 21% more profitability- Gallup

24. Active employee engagement programs in an organization can result in increased profits up to $2,400 per employee annually- Workplace Research FoundationOpens in a new tab.

25. Organizations with engaged employees see a 26% increase in revenue and 233% greater customer loyalty- AberdeenOpens in a new tab.

26. Only 15% of the employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs- Gallup

27. About 59% of employees say that they have been working with their current employer for more than three years and 22% of the older employees (from age 30-37) have been with their current employer for more than seven years- UdemyOpens in a new tab.

28. According to 42% of employees, development and learning is the most important factor when deciding where to work, and health insurance (48%) is the second most important- UdemyOpens in a new tab.

29. If organizations offer career training and development, then 86% of the millennials will stick with their current employer and not leave their job- BridgeOpens in a new tab.

30. If a job has no growth opportunity and direction for development, then 67% of the millennials will leave their position- BridgeOpens in a new tab.

31. Amongst 3.3 billion adults in the world, only 7% report having a great job- Gallup

32. 64% of the workers are uncomfortable negotiating a higher salary with the employer at their new job- AjilonOpens in a new tab.

33. Female employees are 36% more likely to leave their current employer because of a bad manager than male employees (Female-34%  Male-25%)- AjilonOpens in a new tab.

34. Almost half of the employees say that they quit a job because of a bad manager, out of which 56% think that managers are promoted ahead of time, and 60% think that managers need intensive training- UdemyOpens in a new tab.

35. Men are 18% more likely to leave their current position for being underpaid compared to women (Men- 39% and Women- 33%)- AjilonOpens in a new tab.

36. 13.5% of the employees agree that the culture of the organization pushes them to accept another job opportunity- AjilonOpens in a new tab.

37. 44% of the employees leave their job for another job that pays better- Robert HalfOpens in a new tab.

38. 12% of employees say that they would leave their job if they don’t feel appreciated- Robert HalfOpens in a new tab.

39. 83% of the HR managers say someone quitting their position can really impact the future of the organization- Robert HalfOpens in a new tab.

40. 58% of managers extend their counteroffers to employees who are planning to quit their job. On average, these employees leave their position in less than two years- Robert HalfOpens in a new tab.

41. Out of 5 billion people in this world, only 1.4 billion or 28% have a “good” job, and only 16% of those employees are engaged- GallupOpens in a new tab.

42. 25% of the millennials have worked for five different organizations- O.C. TannerOpens in a new tab.

43. Out of the millennials who were employed at 5 or more organizations, 31% said that their company didn’t set goals, 34% did not trust their manager and 48% said that their organization only thought about making profits- O.C. TannerOpens in a new tab.

44. 39% of the employees would work harder if they are happy in their current position or workplace- One4allOpens in a new tab.

45. 60% of workers say they have left jobs or are considering leaving their job because they do not like senior management, and 58% say that they would leave their current position because of office politics- RandstadOpens in a new tab.

46. 58% of the employees say they would start a job with a lower salary if they got to work for a great and renowned employer- RandstadOpens in a new tab.

47. Only 12% of businesses are happy with the current level of employee engagement- CBIOpens in a new tab.

48. 69% of full-time employees face distraction at their workplace- UdemyOpens in a new tab.

49. 60% of the workers say that meetings cause a distraction-  UdemyOpens in a new tab.

50. According to 65% of employees, they would be more productive if they get to work at home rather than in an office- FlexJobOpens in a new tab.

51.  75% of the employees say that they get to experience higher productivity at home due to fewer distractions, no interruptions from co-workers (74%), and no office politics (65%)- FlexJobOpens in a new tab.

52. Employees said that they prefer work-life balance more than salary when considering a job opportunity- FlexJobOpens in a new tab.

53. 77% of employees said that they are more likely to accept a job opportunity if they are allowed to telecommute- Robert Half

54. 86% of workers between the age of 18 to 34, and 65% of the employers above the age of 55, said that they would sign a contract as soon as possible with remote work choices- Robert Half

55. 41% of workers said that they would only work for an employer if they offer agile employment opportunities- SpherionOpens in a new tab.

56. 40% of employees reported that remote/flexible work could reduce distractions at the workplace, and 52% say that will be more productive if they work remotely- UdemyOpens in a new tab.

57. 77% of the workers said that they could be more productive if they work away from home- UpworkOpens in a new tab.

58. 55% of employers feel that stronger engagement can improve their ability to carry out succession planning, recruit and retain employees- CBIOpens in a new tab.

59. 44% of businesses believe that better employee engagement can lead to better retention, while 36% of them think that it would have a positive impact on recruitment- CBIOpens in a new tab.

60. 47% of businesses think that the current freedom in pension (401k) will make the employees more engaged- CBIOpens in a new tab.

61. 42% of the businesses say that providing pension has a positive effect in retaining employees- CBIOpens in a new tab.

62. A third of the job seekers left their job within 3 months; 43% of them said that their everyday role wasn’t something that they expected, 34% said that they faced an incident or a bad experience, 32% mentioned the culture of the company, 11% said that they signed up for a new job and later changed their minds- JobviteOpens in a new tab.

63. 32% of workers would take a 10% salary cut for a job they’re passionate about or interested in- JobviteOpens in a new tab.

64. The top reasons for quitting a job: pay (44%), limited career opportunity (43%), lack of challenges at work (30%), work and life balance (28%) and absence of recognition (27%)- RandstadOpens in a new tab.

65. 11% of employees rejected a new job opportunity due to the absence of work-life balance opportunities, while about 75% of employees carefully make arrangements for the childcare before taking a new job or promotion- Working Families and Bright HorizonsOpens in a new tab.

66. More than 60% of workers would take up a job with lower pay for better benefits- ZenefitsOpens in a new tab.

67. More than 50% of workers report that they left their previous position after hearing about better benefits somewhere else- RandstadOpens in a new tab.

68. 78% of employees are likely to stick with an organization due to the benefits they offer- WTWOpens in a new tab.

69. 80% of workers said that the benefits they receive are good, also strongly identified with the company’s vision, in contrast to 40% of the ones who don’t- Thomsons Online BenefitsOpens in a new tab.

70. 81% of workers who can easily receive benefits said that they are loyal towards their employers and 79% say that they feel proud to work for the company- Thomsons Online BenefitsOpens in a new tab.

71. 77% of workers who understand the benefits being offered to them, said that they see themselves working for the organization even in the future- Thomsons Online BenefitsOpens in a new tab.

72. 64% of millennials believe that benefits are extremely important and display employer loyalty- QualtricsOpens in a new tab.

73. To get better benefits, 50% of the adults would leave their current position- YohOpens in a new tab.

 

74. 42% of adults said they would quit for a more flexible job option- YohOpens in a new tab.

75. 89% of employers said a flexible job is essential to attract staff and retain talent- HaysOpens in a new tab.

76. 33% of employees said flexible working options are crucial for them to stick with their current employer- HaysOpens in a new tab.

77. About 70% of millennials say that they have considered quitting a job for another more flexible job opportunity, but only 50% of the older employees have felt the same- FlexJobsOpens in a new tab.

78. 80% of millennials feel that they would be more devoted towards a company that offers flexible options, whereas only 70% of the older employees feel the same way- FlexJobsOpens in a new tab.

79. Around 80% of the millennials think about how a position will impact their work and life balance, and only 62% of older workers agreed to that- FlexjobsOpens in a new tab.

80. Amongst older and younger employees, less than 10% feel that they produce quality work in the office, more than 60% reported that their productivity would increase if they telecommuted, and around 41% would not exchange vacation time or salary for telecommuting- FlexjobsOpens in a new tab.

81. 44% of the employees reported that they would quit their present job for one that pays more salary- OfficeTeamOpens in a new tab.

82. The reasons employees would quit their present job: they want to work for an organization that has a bigger mission and stronger purpose (12%), they feel unappreciated by their current employer (12%), they are bored or are unchallenged (12%), the commute is long (7%), they do not fit into the work culture (7%) or their boss is bad (6%)- OfficeTeamOpens in a new tab.

83. Around one-third of adults would quit their job for a better position, a good company culture and a short commute- YohOpens in a new tab.

84. According to 80% of employees, health insurance is important when deciding whether to stick with a job or not- EBRIOpens in a new tab.

85. 15% of adults report that they would not leave their present job for any reason- YohOpens in a new tab.

86. 47% of employees who have a higher education say that limited career options could make them leave their current position for a better opportunity- RandstadOpens in a new tab.

87. 29% of employees plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months- AccountempsOpens in a new tab.

88. Almost 24% of Generation X feel that their desire for being financially stable inspires them to stick to a job- Purchasing PowerOpens in a new tab.

89. 54% of underemployed workers actively looking for a job opportunity that pays better and is full-time- SnagOpens in a new tab.

90. Around 4.5 million or 14% of employees are most likely to move to a new job- Robert HalfOpens in a new tab.

91. About 33% of professionals chose ‘I am bored and need a new challenge,’ as their inspiration to change a job and move on to another one- Korn FerryOpens in a new tab.

92. Organizations with better learning and work culture that appreciates employee engagement have 30-35% higher retention rates than those who do not- Robert HalfOpens in a new tab.

93. 83% of the employees who participate in a mentoring program agreed that the experience that they gather positively impact their desire to keep working for the company- RiverOpens in a new tab.

94. 70% of employers believe that employees’ inclination towards “purpose” is affecting the ability of HR to recruit and retain top performers (69%), and around 65% said it is changing the traditional approach towards talent hiring and development, incorporating the compensation packages- Covestro

95. 68% of employees feel that employee engagement will improve in the workplace and workers will perform at a higher level if they had challenging opportunities like working on purpose projects inside or outside the organization- Covestro

96. 62% of employers see (employees engaging in short-term consulting projects that help the causes of non-profit organizations) as a way to lure top performers, increase employee engagement (70%), and build future leaders at their organizations (80%)- Covestro

97. 93% of non-profit workers are engaged at work; this rate is triple to the national average- Work for GoodOpens in a new tab.

98. 85% of workers who switched from profit to non-profit organizations reported that they plan on working for the non-profit organization- Work for GoodOpens in a new tab.

99. 75% of employers said that in the next ten years, in order to hire and retain employees, only providing compensation will not be sufficient- Covestro

100. 60% of organizations provide wellness programs to attract and retain workers, where only 14% of the organizations do not have any health culture or programs- OptumOpens in a new tab.

101. 56% of Americans reported that their health plan is the main reason for them staying at their current job- America’s Health InsuranceOpens in a new tab.

102. 72% of employees did not accept the reason for why they didn’t get a raise, and 71% who got a reason reported that they started looking for a new job opportunity within the next six months- PayScaleOpens in a new tab.

103. Of the employees that got a reason as to why they did not receive a raise in their salary, only 25% believed it. Of the ones who did not believe the reason or didn’t receive a raise, 70% reported that they plan on seeking a new job opportunity within the next six months- PayScaleOpens in a new tab.

104. For 67% of employees who are seeking a job, money is the number one motivator- GlassdoorOpens in a new tab.

105. 45% of hiring managers reported that salary is the biggest reason for workers to change jobs- GlassdoorOpens in a new tab.

106.  7% of baby boomers and 59% of Generation Z will have to work for an employer for about 1 to 4 years before turning it into long-term employment- SharefileOpens in a new tab.

107. 12% of baby boomers and 34% of Generation Z, reported that the best way to get where they want to be is by moving from one company to the other- SharefileOpens in a new tab.

108. 63% of workers do not consider employment that offers less than 15 paid vacation/off days- RandstadOpens in a new tab.

109. About 20% of those aged between 24-35 years reported that reputation for inclusion, diversity, ethical behavior, and workplace wellbeing are the most important factors while selecting an employer- DeloitteOpens in a new tab.

110. 57% of employees feel that if their employer supported their mental wellbeing, they would be more productive, more loyal, and take fewer off days- Health ShieldOpens in a new tab.

111. According to Generation Z and Millennials, employers that have senior management teams and a diverse workforce makes them stay for five years or more- DeloitteOpens in a new tab.

112. Among Generation Z and Millennials who reported they would stay with their employer for almost five years, 55% noted more flexibility in the workplace as compared to 3 years ago was an important factor-  DeloitteOpens in a new tab.

113. If Generation X is offered financial programs at their workplace, then 89% of them would be a part of it- Purchasing PowerOpens in a new tab.

114. Around two-thirds of baby boomers feel that younger employees are not as loyal and about 60% think that younger employees are more entitled- CompTIAOpens in a new tab.

115. 47% of HR professionals said that employee turnover and retention is their biggest challenge- GloboforceOpens in a new tab.

116. In business leadership positions, turnover rates are higher for women(31%) as compared to men (24.1%)- The Network of Executive WomenOpens in a new tab.

117. The attrition rates worldwide in other sectors ranges from 8% to 10% per year- The Network of Executive WomenOpens in a new tab.

118. 31% of retail workers reported that training makes them feel more engaged- AxonifyOpens in a new tab.

119. 63% of workers think that managers are the ones most responsible for sharing results based on engagement with teams- Quantum WorkplaceOpens in a new tab.

120. 60% of workers reported that managers are most accountable for executing employee engagement strategies- Quantum WorkplaceOpens in a new tab.

With a proper mindset and the right tools, employee engagement tracking can be a useful tool for every organization.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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