Employee Engagement
Research Report Update - Jan 2013

Beyond the numbers: A practical approach for individuals, managers
and executives

Download Now The Employee Engagement Report Update reflects online survey responses of over 7,000 individuals from around the world. Download a free copy of the report update.

In organizations every individual is accountable for his or her own engagement; anyone with direct reports must coach team members to higher levels of engagement and manage his or her own engagement; and executives set the tone for high morale and motivation plus shoulder the responsibilities of individuals and managers.

In this 2013 Employee Engagement updated report, we share a brief overview of engagement levels worldwide, the engagement-retention connection, key drivers, and the ways that behaviors of managers and senior leaders influence engagement.

We also explore the specific roles and responsibilities of the workforce in building a more engaged organization. Our focus: individual employees, managers, and executives. These three roles are incremental, depending on someone's level in the organization.

Key Findings from the Research Update

We see stable or rising engagement levels in regions around the world.

"Intent to stay," a main predictor of future turnover, remains stable. While engagement and intent to stay are directly correlated, the specific dynamics of retention appear to vary significantly from one region of the world to the next.

The dynamics of tenure, level and age remain the same – as people grow more experienced and vested in their work, or more senior in the organization, engagement increases.

While gender is not a significant factor of engagement in western economies, large gaps in engagement levels between men and women are apparent in India, the Persian Gulf and South America.

When it comes to drivers of engagement, clarity on the organization's priorities, getting feedback, having opportunities to use skills, and career development remain at the top of the list for a majority of employees. What these factors mean in practice, however, can be deeply personal.

Globally, a greater percentage of the workforce trust senior leaders and managers. Trust in managers remains predictably higher than trust in executives.

Recommendations

To reap the rewards that a more engaged organization promises, your entire workforce needs to be accountable for their piece of the 'engagement equation' every day. The 2013 Employee Engagement Updated Report clarifies those roles and responsibilities.

	Individuals: Ownership, clarity and action. Individuals need to know what they want — and what the organization needs — and then take action to achieve both.
	Managers: Coaching, relationships and dialogue. Managers must understand each individual’s talents, interests and needs and then match those with the organization’s objectives — while at the same time creating personal, trusting relationships. Furthermore, they need to discuss engagement often.
	Executives: Trust, communication and culture. Executives have to demonstrate consistency in words and actions, communicate a lot (and with a lot of depth), and align all business practices and behaviors throughout the organization to drive results and engagement.

Whether you play one, two or three of the roles described above, the 2013 Employee Engagement Updated Report is designed to shed light on your quest for creating a more meaningful, productive work experience for you and your colleagues.

Download a free copy of BlessingWhite's global Employee Engagement Report Update (Jan 2013)

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Download the 2011 global Employee Engagement Report (2011)

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Download the 2008 Employee Engagement Report (2008) - North America UK/Ireland Asia Pacific

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For previous engagement reports and other research, visit BlessingWhite's Research and Articles section.