Who’s Feeling the Strain in Global Workplaces Today? Managers

Managers aren’t alright.

Global employee engagement dropped in 2024, costing the world economy $438 billion in lost productivity. The primary cause was a decrease in manager engagement, with managers struggling to find a balance between executive demands and employee expectations. Now, the effects have trickled down to team engagement, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report,

In 2024, the global percentage of engaged employees fell from 23 percent to 21 percent—equal to the decline felt during COVID-19 lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders. Not engaged employees now account for 62 percent of the workforce, and 17 percent of employees are actively disengaged—meaning they are actively working against the organization’s goals.

Manager engagement was hit particularly badly, dropping from 30 percent to 27 percent while engagement among individual contributors remained flat at 18 percent.

Young (under 35) manager engagement fell by 5 percentage points. Female manager engagement dropped by 7 percentage points.

Why does this matter? Engaged employees are more productive at work and are absent less. Managers are the biggest factor in team engagement. Gallup previously reported that employees who feel supported by their manager are more engaged and about 70 percent less likely to experience burnout. But if managers are not engaged, their organizations are less likely to have engaged and productive teams.

“If manager engagement continues to decline, it won’t stop with managers, and it won’t stop with engagement,” the report said. “The productivity of the world’s workplace is at risk.”

An alarming 50% of cybersecurity professionals expect that they will experience burnout within the next 6 months. From the cybersecurity professionals in the digital realm to the security guards on the ground, the toll of this profession is palpable. https://t.co/2xKywCopxF

— Security Management (@SecMgmtMag) January 2, 2025

Managers surveyed for the report noted that they feel stuck between trying to support and motivate their teams while meeting executives’ mandates—all with smaller budgets, fewer staff, widespread digital transformation, disruption of norms, and rapidly shifting goals. Managers also reported a notable drop in overall wellbeing, including 42 percent of them reporting they experience stress a lot of the time.

“When we consider the decline in both manager life evaluations and employee engagement, a deteriorating workplace environment is the common denominator,” the report said. “As with engagement, the consequences are existential for a business. Manager burnout eventually leads to declining performance, increased absenteeism, and increased turnover—impacting the people they lead and the organization itself.”

So, what can executives do to make managers feel more supported and engaged? Gallup offered a few recommendations.

Training, training, training. Only 44 percent of the world’s managers say they have received management training. Even rudimentary training in role responsibilities can stop managers from feeling like they are drowning in their work.

Coaching techniques. Effective coaching and professional development skills can be taught. Gallup found that teaching managers coaching techniques can boost performance by 20 to 28 percent, enhancing engagement and satisfaction across teams.

Ongoing development. Employer-provided manager training improves manager thriving levels from 28 to 34 percent. “However, if they have training and someone at work actively encourages their development, manager thriving increases even further to 50 percent,” the report said. “When we consider the additional influence of great managers on their teams, manager training and development may be one of the most effective ‘wellbeing initiatives’ employers can invest in.”