Five Takeaways from the Gallup Workforce Summit

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Last week, I attended the 2024 Gallup Workforce Summit in Omaha, Nebraska. I am always interested in tracking Gallup workforce trends because their research has a historical perspective of almost 50 years. Gallup insights are also interesting because they have client data from every industry, and their work is global. Five takeaways from this year’s conference include:

Global workforce engagement continues to drop. Only 30% of workers in the US are actively engaged in their work, but these findings surpass other regions worldwide, including Europe. Gallup sees a strong relationship between engagement and productivity, so this continued decline in workforce engagement is accompanied by decreased productivity. From an economic standpoint, this is a concerning metric moving forward.
The mental health of the workforce is not improving despite many efforts by organizations to build well-being programs. Gallup’s research sees clear differentiation in perceptions of well-being by generational cohorts, with Generation Z (born 1997-2012) being the least likely to report high levels of well-being. Gallup is seeing a concerning shift that indicates that each subsequent generation reports declining mental health. 20% of the global workforce reports feeling lonely at work. Well-being metrics have not improved since the pandemic.
The gap in understanding workforce issues between executive leaders and frontline staff continues to widen. Organizational leaders (except frontline leaders) are much more highly engaged than their workforce and report much higher levels of satisfaction with their work and lives. The confrontations about hybrid, remote, and onsite work have not dissipated. The most significant problem in most organizations today is a loss of trust between leaders and their staff. 60% of Generation Z staff are actively seeking new employment at any given time as organizational loyalty has plummeted.
Interpersonal conflicts in the workplace are on the rise as employees demonstrate fewer social skills and an inability to navigate conflict effectively. Roles and purpose are less clear in work settings since the COVID experience. The workforce is nervous about how AI will be used in the workplace.
Customer expectations are increasing, and consumers want a more individualized experience when employee customer service skills are seriously declining. The change in consumer expectations and propensity to complain loudly on social media is challenging for all industries. There is a strong desire to move to bots and technology when consumers want a more hands-on experience that employees often can’t or don’t offer.

Gallup experts advise that most organizations need a massive reboot, especially as we enter the new world of artificial intelligence. The data clearly shows workforce unrest and dissatisfaction, and these findings transcend all industries, including healthcare. From Gallup’s perspective, frontline managers remain the linchpin in achieving organizational goals, yet most will need upskilling to manage in this increasingly more complex new world of work.

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