{"id":50766,"date":"2026-02-23T12:55:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/?p=50766"},"modified":"2026-02-27T15:44:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T23:44:56","slug":"stop-the-drop-in-employee-engagement-and-well-being","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/stop-the-drop-in-employee-engagement-and-well-being\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop the Drop in Employee Engagement and Well-being"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ChrisE-scaled.jpg” custom_padding=”0|0px|30px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||223px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ height=”200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ text_font=”PT Sans||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”72″ text_line_height=”1.1em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”582px” custom_margin=”0px||0px|-42px||” text_font_size_tablet=”52″ text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Stop the Drop in Employee Engagement and Well-being<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”-77px|||||” custom_padding=”27.2344px|0px|0|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”20px||0px|” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NACM-Keynote-SCE-060722-scaled.jpg” title_text=”A smiling man with curly gray hair wearing a black shirt that says %22GOOD COMES FIRST%22 gestures with his right hand against a plain dark background.” show_bottom_space=”off” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ hover_enabled=”0″ animation=”off” sticky=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” alt=”A smiling man with curly gray hair wearing a black shirt that says %22GOOD COMES FIRST%22 gestures with his right hand against a plain dark background.” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#02b875″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.2em” header_text_color=”#000000″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”]CHRIS EDMONDS<\/a><\/span>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ text_font=”PT Serif||on||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”10px||60px|” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

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CEO, The Purposeful Culture Group. Speaker. Author. Executive Consultant. Musician. Collector of guitars and tube amps. Optimistic humanist. Denver, CO.
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\u00a0<\/div>\n
Don\u2019t miss Chris\u2019 new podcast, co-hosted by Mark S. Babbitt. The Mastering Workplace Culture podcast examines the hard truths of workplace culture change. Proven culture leaders share unfiltered stories of breakdowns, breakthroughs, and their bold decisions. And, they’ll discuss the steps they took to drive sustainable, tangible change where respect and results are equally modeled, monitored, and validated.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PurposefulCultureGroup<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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For more than 30 years, Gallup has been measuring employee engagement and well-being.<\/p>\n

Their 2025 State of the Global Workplace report<\/a> shows that only about one-third of employees (33%) worldwide say they are \u201cthriving\u201d in life, a measure of well-being that combines workplace experience with overall life evaluation. That percentage is down from earlier years, a sign that both engagement and well-being continue to slip.<\/p>\n

Gallup\u2019s research also shows that engagement has fallen from 23% to 21%. This decline directly impacts organizational performance, as 62% of employees aren\u2019t engaged and 17% are actively disengaged, costing the global economy roughly $438 billion in lost productivity last year. If any of your employees are disengaged, you\u2019re leaving money on the table.<\/p>\n

The report tells us that manager engagement hasn\u2019t improved, either. Only 27% of managers worldwide reported feeling engaged, down from 30% a year ago. Since manager engagement influences team engagement, this decline makes it even harder for companies to improve performance and well-being.<\/p>\n

These trends reflect a workplace in transition. With remote and hybrid work, differing generational preferences – including rising expectations about purpose and belonging – the challenge of disengagement increases. If leaders don\u2019t act intentionally, disengagement will continue to negatively affect production, engagement, and well-being.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f4″ custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”680px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2-2-scaled.jpg” alt=”A person seated at a conference table raises their hand, engaging with the culture of open discussion as others listen to a standing woman presenting in a bright, modern office where all figures are out of focus.” title_text=”A person seated at a conference table raises their hand, engaging with the culture of open discussion as others listen to a standing woman presenting in a bright, modern office where all figures are out of focus.” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ custom_margin=”1px|||||” animation_direction=”off” animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#efefe9″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3-2-scaled.jpg” alt=”A person typing on a laptop with floating digital icons related to employer branding, including graphics of people, magnets, and gear symbols, representing concepts like talent recruitment and business strategy.” title_text=”A,Diverse,Group,Of,Professionals,Smiling,And,Shaking,Hands,In” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ custom_margin=”1px|||||” animation_direction=”off” animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#818178″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”16.3%|10%||10%||” custom_margin_tablet=”|10%||10%” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

If leaders don\u2019t act intentionally, disengagement will continue to negatively affect production, engagement, and well-being.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#888888″ text_font_size=”12″ text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||20%|” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|||” custom_margin_phone=”20px||3.7%|||” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]CHRIS EDMONDS[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0||25px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”4″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”|auto||auto|false|false” custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||10px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”37px||2px|||” custom_margin_tablet=”40px||0px|” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

What should leaders do? These two practices can help reverse disengagement.<\/p>\n

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  1. Provide clarity<\/strong>. Make sure each employee knows what\u2019s expected of them\u2014weekly, quarterly, annually\u2014by discussing and agreeing on their measurable goals. Also, team members will likely need guidance on working with their colleagues. Old approaches that worked fine when everyone was under one roof and everyone was of similar generations need to be updated to accommodate today\u2019s hybrid operations and a younger workforce.<\/li>\n
  2. Provide validation<\/strong>. While learning new ways to work together, team members must be quick, flexible, and cooperative. Our best leaders made sure to express gratitude for treating others with respect, for creative solutions, for fast problem-solving, and for consistent contributions under often uncertain conditions. Leaders must be present and aware so they can recognize efforts, ideas, and actions that meet company goals and impress customers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Stop clinging to outdated leadership techniques; they don’t work for today\u2019s team members. Model practices that boost clarity and validate employees\u2019 efforts instead. Do this consistently, and engagement and well-being will increase. What can you do differently today to strengthen your work culture?<\/p>\n

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