Purpose & Sustainability Advisor | Global Brand Strategist | Board Director | Author, Award-Winning Thought Leader & Speaker | Advocate for Human-Centered Leadership, shifting the consciousness of business
Gallup's latest quarterly employment survey reveals a mixed picture about the state of work. Although they're more engaged at work, remote workers’ connection to the mission and purpose of their employer is at an all-time low…. Could #remotework be evolving into a preference for transactional interactions rather than fostering deep relationships? Are younger generations, accustomed to virtual connections, reshaping the way we perceive work—prioritizing transactions over a sense of #belonging?🤔 Amidst media attention on big companies urging employees back to the office, a recent Flex Index report shows a decline in % US employers mandating full-time in-office work in 2023. Key stats from Gallup include: ✔ Employee engagement is up slightly (34% in mid-2023) after a period of decline, although remote workers' sense of purpose is at an all-time low. ✔Actively disengaged employees have decreased from 18% in 2022 to 16%, resulting in an engaged-to-actively-disengaged employee ratio of 2.1-to-1, up from last year. ✔Although lagging pre-pandemic levels, the basics have seen the greatest improvements: understanding work expectations, access to necessary tools and the chance to leverage individual strengths daily. ✔Only 28% of exclusively remote workers strongly agree with feeling connected—an all-time low, potentially challenging the core tenets of #employeeengagement and loyalty. ✔While equipped with tools for their roles, remote employees' loyalty is down, signaling a transition towards a more gig-like relationship with employers—potentially with implications for employee (and customer) retention, productivity and work quality. So, what can brand leaders do? The #MetoWe continuum of #BrandCitizenship offers some insights: 💡 Empowering trust: Foster a culture of transparency and autonomy, empowering employees to make decisions that contribute to the organizational #purpose. 💡Enriching personal growth: Offer tailored opportunities for skill development and growth, aligning individual aspirations with the organization's mission. 💡Collaborative accountability: Promote a sense of shared responsibility within teams, where success is collectively owned, fostering camaraderie and purpose. 💡Community building: Create virtual meet-ups while also exploring opportunities for employees to engage in real-life activities that align with the organization's social mission and sustainability goals. 💡Meaningful Contribution: Clearly communicate how each remote employee's role directly contributes to the broader purpose of the organization. Encourage alignment with personal passions and societal issues, making work more fulfilling. Results of the survey emphasize the need to reimagine work— and the opportunity to weave #purpose and the Me-to-We continuum into every remote interaction. As we navigate the intricacies of an evolving work environment, let’s use this moment to shape an inclusive, purpose-driven future. #PurposefulConnections #WorkplaceCulture
This is such an interesting intersection Anne Bahr Thompson. For me, it's also hard to think through employee engagement (and the lack of it) without contemplating the climate we're in. The up and coming generations deeply feel the climate crisis while also struggling with mountains of debt, an insane housing market... it's hard to care about your company's mission when you're barely making ends meet. There's lots of things to think about!
The aftermath of the pandemic is still being felt in the workplace. And, apparently, according to Gallup's survey, they will be here for a while. Therefore, the need for #purpose and the Me-to-We continuum are inexorable.
There are some important questions here around engagement, loyalty, and transactional relationships. Newer generations have to question the values of the past and even boomers like me have to remember that many of our generation questioned the attitudes and behaviours of our elders, demonstrating for greater understanding, empathy, and even peace in our time.
This raises questions about whether remote work is promoting transactional interactions instead of fostering deep relationships. With more companies allowing remote work, it's crucial for brand leaders to focus on all of these points to create a purpose-driven future.
Great post Anne. Sharing, reiterating, and asking for input on values is likely key. ‘Transactional roles’ feels very adverse to creating buy in from an employee, whether remote or on campus. Offering a way for them to be a stakeholder in some way seems key.
Executive Producer and Show Host of WHAT'S YOUR WORK FIT? I help you make your work and workplace decisions result in better and more satisfying professional experiences and outcomes.
1yThere is a lot of useful insight to mine in that State of the Workplace Report. But that finding around engagement for remote workers is truly important. Remote work without meaningful engagement doesn't work well. We are finally getting past the venue-only frames (co-location versus remote versus hybrid) to discussions about where we should venue to increase engagement but also successful outcomes. Sadly, the mainstream media don't know how to unpack such nuance. We will do our best to do it this fall on WHAT'S YOUR WORK FIT? in the Workplace.