Workers Feel Underutilized and Disengaged

• According to the latest survey of U.S. and U.K. workers published on February 28, 2020, respondents use only 38% of their knowledge at work.
• The survey also finds that more than 60% of workers have difficulty getting the information needed to fulfill their jobs. As a result, knowledge workers spend 26 days each year to search for information, knowledge and expertise.
• Furthermore, 61% say they could contribute more to their jobs but they do not know how, and 90% say they want "more opportunities to share their knowledge and expertise."
• According to Chron, one of the reasons for employee dissatisfaction is disengagement, with only 30% of workers in the United States report "feeling engaged and motivated at work."
• While a 2018 Gallup Poll shows an increase in workers reporting active engagement (up to 34%) and a decrease in active disengagement (13%), this still leaves the rest (53%) of workers not actively engaged in their work.
• "Disengaged employees cost U.S. businesses $450-$550 billion in lost productivity annually," according to a report by Rapt Media.
• Additionally, it also finds that 57% of employees "feel their leaders are detached from the workforce."
• Globally, the number of disengaged workers is even more troubling, with only 15% of workers saying they are engaged at work--leaving 85% of workers not engaged.
• Over the years, studies have found that workers "who derive meaning from their work are 1.4 times more engaged." According to research by Emplify, organizations with mostly desk-bound knowledge workers have 5% lower in what they call "meaning" score. This suggests that some knowledge workers are likely even more disengaged than general workers.

Summary