New research from Gallup has found low rates of job satisfaction among U.S. employees, with 51% of those surveyed saying they are currently looking for new work opportunities – the highest rate since 2015.
Yet, unlike the “Great Resignation,” today many frustrated employees are struggling to make the leap to a new employer because of a cooling job market and economy marred by inflation. Instead, they are left “feeling stuck with their discontent,” according to a Dec. 3 blog by Ben Wigert, Ph.D., Gallup’s director of Research and Strategy, Workplace Management.
“For employers, this means that while turnover numbers may have slowed, employee productivity concerns and future talent loss are hidden organizational risks.” Wigert said.
“In addition, when employees feel detached from their work, organizational change initiatives are likely to meet indifference or resistance.”
The Gallup research finds that only 18% of employees report feeling “extremely satisfied” with their job, the lowest rate since 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gallup identifies this shift as “The Great Detachment.”
Wigert said record-high turnover during the Great Resignation of 2021-22 has caused rapid organization changes and restructuring, which has led to additional job responsibilities and employee burnout. Fully remote work has left some employees feeling less emotionally connected to their organization’s mission.
Additionally, 71% of employees say customers have become more demanding and there is a growing mismatch between the work-life balance employees expect post-pandemic and what their employers are able to offer, Wigert said.
To fix the growing problem of employee detachment, businesses need to do two things: Reset expectations and priorities and to a better job of connecting individual employee contributions to the organization’s overall mission and purpose.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, more employees reported having clear role expectations. In January of 2015, for example, 61% of employees said they knew what was expected of them at work. That percentage fell to 45% in November 2024.
“To reverse this trend, leaders and managers should get back to the basics: They need to have two-way conversations with their team members to set expectations in a new or changing work environment,” Wigert said. “This is especially true for younger or new hybrid employees.”
To improve employees’ eroded sense of connection to their organization’s mission, “leaders must communicate an an inspiring vision that people want to get behind,” Wigert said. “Employees need a manager to show them why their effort makes a difference.
“The good news is that by addressing two declining elements of engagement – clear expectations and mission or purpose – leaders can turn these risks into game-changing strengths,” Wigert said.