Workplace disengagement is a 'worldwide epidemic'
70% of the global workforce is either not engaged or actively disengaged, says Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. What can be done?
Although decades of scientific research show that engaged employees perform better than their disengaged counterparts, disengagement is a worldwide epidemic. For more than 10 years, surveys have indicated that no less than 70% of the global workforce is either not engaged or actively disengaged.
A similar number of employees are now open to alternative jobs - which explains the steady rise of LinkedIn - as well as seriously considering self-employment, mostly to avoid having a boss.
Poor management is the number-one reason for the high disengagement levels. As the saying goes, people join companies but quit their bosses, and those who don't are simply more resilient, risk-averse or less able to find other jobs.