Labor Day has passed, parents are posting “first day of school” pictures on social media, pumpkin-spice treats are popping up everywhere, and back-to-school energy is buzzing through the air. As the new school year begins for students, fall naturally feels like a time of fresh starts for everyone. For the workplace, this seasonal transition couldn’t come at a more critical time.
The Sobering State of Our Workforce
Gallup’s latest research delivers sobering news about the U.S. workforce: Employee engagement has plummeted to just 31 percent of American workers—the lowest level since 2014 (Gallup, 2025a).
Think about that for a moment. In an office of 100 people, only 31 would describe themselves as truly engaged with their work! The remaining 69 are either going through the motions or, worse, actively undermining their workplace. It’s a workforce crisis hiding in plain sight.
What Engagement Really Means
Employee engagement goes far beyond mere satisfaction. Whereas a satisfied employee might think, “This job is fine,” an engaged employee thinks, “I can’t wait to tackle this project today.” Engagement is that strong emotional and intellectual connection you feel to your work, the kind that makes you want to go above and beyond, not because you have to, but because you genuinely enjoy the work and care about the outcome.
Think about the last time you felt truly engaged at work. Maybe you were solving a challenging problem, mentoring a colleague, or working on a project that felt meaningful. You probably lost track of time, felt energized rather than drained, and took pride in the results. That’s engagement in action.
Unfortunately, most of us aren’t experiencing this.
Why Low Engagement Devastates Companies
Why does this matter? Well, it matters to businesses because businesses with a critical mass of engaged employees outperform their competition (Gallup, 2023; Gallup, 2024). Research shows that companies with highly engaged workforces are more profitable, more productive, have higher customer ratings, fewer safety incidents, and lower absenteeism and turnover.
So when employees are disengaged, as many are now, organizations suffer across every metric that matters. Disengaged employees don’t just underperform—they actively drag down their teams. They’re more likely to miss work, make critical errors, and create safety incidents. They spread negativity like a virus, turning productive meetings into complaint sessions and collaborative projects into exercises in frustration. They’re the ones badmouthing the company to customers, discouraging new hires, and driving away the best performers who prefer to work in more positive, fulfilling environments.
Engaged employees, on the other hand, are the ones with a smile on their face and a pep in their step, eager to get to work, solve a problem, and make things happen.
Time for a Fresh Start: What Employees Really Need to Thrive
So what fosters engagement among employees? From my work with companies across various industries, I can tell you that it varies from industry to industry, company to company, and across time. However, there are some common themes in what employees need to be fully engaged (Edmonson, 1999; Gallup, 2025b; Shuck, 2020; Shuck & Rose, 2013):
- Meaning and purpose: understanding how their work contributes to something larger than themselves, seeing a connection between their daily tasks and the organization’s mission.
- Autonomy: self-direction and control over their work. Micromanagers are almost universally disliked.
- Psychological safety: confidence that they can express ideas, ask questions, and even make mistakes without ridicule or punishment. When employees feel psychologically safe, they’re willing to take the risks that drive innovation and success.
- Hopeful leaders: leaders who provide a vision and a clear direction to a brighter future.
- Trusting teams: colleagues who act with integrity, respect, and mutual support.
- Resources to do their job well: the tools, training, and support they need to succeed.
- Flexibility: latitude in when, how, and where they work, including manageable workloads that don’t lead to burnout.
The Critical Role of Employee Engagement Surveys
Here’s where this back-to-school timing becomes crucial. Just as teachers assess where their students stand at the beginning of the academic year so they can determine how best to proceed, organizations need to honestly evaluate their workforce’s engagement levels so they, too, can determine the best strategy forward.
What’s the most effective way for organizations to assess their employees’ level of engagement? Employee surveys (Huebner & Zacher, 2021). These assessments go beyond simply measuring satisfaction and attitudes. Well-designed surveys by skilled researchers can also identify which workplace factors most strongly predict engagement in your particular workplace, thus enabling the organization to develop targeted strategies rather than throwing generic solutions at the proverbial wall to see what sticks.
Maybe your employees need clearer communication about company goals. Perhaps they’re craving more opportunities for growth and development. Or they might be struggling with work-life balance in ways that leadership hasn’t recognized.
Without the diagnostic information that employee surveys provide, organizations are essentially trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
The data from engagement surveys allows leaders to prioritize their improvement efforts where they’ll have the greatest impact on employee engagement and well-being, as well as the business. In today’s competitive talent market, this strategic approach isn’t just smart—it’s a business imperative.
The Fresh Start Opportunity
The fall season, with its natural rhythm of renewal and recommitment, offers organizations a timely window to address the engagement crisis. Employees are already in a mindset of fresh starts and new routines. It’s the perfect time to survey your workforce, identify the gaps, and implement meaningful changes before heading into 2026.
