Steelcase Global Report: Engagement + The Global Workplace
One out of three workers in the world are disengaged. Can the workplace impact employee engagement? The Steelcase Global Report is the first to explore the relationship between engagement and the workplace.
Steelcase’s new edition of 360 Magazine is an in-depth report on Engagement and The Global Workplace. The company partnered with global research firm Ipsos for this unprecedented research effort to measure relevant dimensions of employee engagement and workplace satisfaction—both powerful indicators of worker well-being and organizational performance. It included 12,480 participants – all office workers – in 17 countries.
Survey questions explored what types of work environments people work in, how they feel about their workplace and their organization, and how various dimensions of the work experience might impact employee engagement. The study uncovered five key findings that challenge many paradigms about how and where work happens around the world and also pointed to potential strategies for leading organizations around the world who choose to address the difficult challenge of increasing employee engagement.
The five key findings:
1. Employee Engagement Positively Correlates with Workplace Satisfaction – The data show that workers who are highly satisfied with various aspects of their workplace also demonstrate higher levels of engagement. Yet, only 13 percent of global workers are highly engaged and highly satisfied with their workplace. The inverse is true as well: 11 percent of employees are highly dissatisfied with their offices and are also highly disengaged.
2. Engaged Employees Have More Control Over Their Experiences at Work – A distinguishing characteristic of engaged employees is that they have a greater degree of control over where and how they work, including access to privacy when they need it.
3. Fixed Technology Exceeds Mobile 2:1 – Despite the high global adoption of mobile devices for personal use, the vast majority of study participants report that their organizations provide twice as much fixed technology versus mobile options for work.
4. Traditional Workstyles Persist – Media and popular culture may create the perception that workplaces have changed dramatically in the past decade and that offices are open, informal and collaborative. In some places this is true. But the reality for employees around the world is that most people work in traditional office environments, with an emphasis on hierarchy and desk-based individual work.
5. Cultural Context Influences Engagement Levels – The most highly engaged employees tend to hail from emerging economies and the least engaged often come from countries in well-established markets.
The full text of the 249-page report or the 12-page Executive Summary may be downloaded at http://www.steelcase.com/insights/360-magazine/steelcase-global-report/
