Dale Carnegie and Associates revealed the results of a new study that provides business leaders with a model for building a human-centered workplace that attracts and retains highly engaged employees in a post-pandemic world.
Researchers surveyed more than 6,500 full-time workers worldwide to examine the relationship between employee engagement and retention in this new era of employee empowerment. The study, “Empowered Employees: Managing and Retaining Them in the New, Hybrid Workplace,” offers business leaders a road map for addressing the changing needs of a post-pandemic workforce, improving the quality of new hires, and boosting engagement and enhancing retention with both groups.
“Through these years of intense change, employees have shifted their work-life balance priorities, leaving organizations struggling to meet employee needs while finding the right balance between remote and in-person work,” says Joe Hart, president and CEO of Dale Carnegie and Associates.
“Our research indicates that when leadership builds human-centered systems that make employees feel confident, secure, and hopeful within the organization, they’ll see a significant shift in employee satisfaction and engagement,” says Hart. “To grow employee engagement, every level of leadership needs to forge a genuine emotional connection between employees and the organization.”
Key findings within the research indicate that when employers move an indifferent employee to one that is engaged, they can see a meaningful shift in the corporate culture:
- 74 percent of engaged employees believe their work environment is safe versus 39 percent of indifferent employees.
- 66 percent of engaged employees believe their organizations value differences among associates while only 22 percent of indifferent employees feel the same.
- 77 percent of engaged employees believe the work they do contributes to the overall success of the company, but only 14 percent of indifferent employees believe their work has a positive impact.
The study shows that post-pandemic employees are laser-focused on their personal wellbeing and are willing to leave workplaces they feel are indifferent to their needs and fail to engage meaningfully with them. Thus, closing this gap in emotional connection is the key strategy of a new model of human-centered workplaces where leadership builds engagement with employees.
To read the in-depth analysis of employee research, including research-based recommendations for leaders on how to create a human-centered workplace that encourages confident, hopeful, and secure employees, download the full report, Engaging & Retaining Empowered Employees | Dale Carnegie Training.
