It’s Monday. It’s 11:44am. And something funny is going on with the world’s algorithm today because I keep seeing and hearing the same message…

“Less than 30% of the world’s population is engaged at work.”

It’s not a particularly new stat. In fact, it first surfaced back in 2009! But it still intrigues me to this day. However, whenever I see it, the same thing happens. That stat gets thrown out there, alongside the global context such as the housing crash, the pandemic, cost-of-living, war, politics, etc – all of which are absolutely drivers of low engagement – but it always leaves me feeling that we overlook one crucial aspect. An aspect that, if we acknowledged, could actually help us shape our workplaces and create experiences that foster higher engagement.

If truth be told
Because the truth is, wherever you sit on the spectrum of engagement, when it comes to work, the majority of us would rather not have to. Wouldn’t we? But most of us do. So let’s make is as positive as possible.

Are we creating the right experiences?
We should always aim to elevate our experiences to a higher standard. Are we creating experiences people want to be part of? If the answer is no, there’s more work to do.

Ask yourself:

• Are we using our purpose and mission to light a fire in people?
• Does our onboarding experience get people excited for a future they want to be part of?
• Are we giving people the power to do something meaningful?
• Is the office an invigorating space where people genuinely want to be?
• Does our tech make things simple… even enjoyable?
• How are we showing up for people when they need us most?

Imagine the impact that would have on your organisation. Every 1% increase in engagement generates roughly a 1% increase in sales (Source: Aon Hewitt). And that’s a significant return-on-investment.

More than 70% of the world aren’t engaged at work. It’s time to change that.