Employee engagement. It’s a phrase that means having workers who like that they do, like where they work – and with whom they work —  and who are committed, high-performing employees.

But a recent survey by the consulting firm of BlessingWhite Inc. shows that most companies are not doing well at all in motivating their workers and engaging them. The report notes that less than one in three workers is fully engaged, and nearly one in five described themselves as being completely disengaged.

Engagement was steady from 2008 to 2010, but things changed in 2011, as more employees began looking for new jobs at different companies than their own.

The BlessingWhite report confirmed the findings of another survey done in 2010 by The Corporate Executive Board Co.. It showed that during 2009 and 2010, about one-fifth of all the workers around the world said they were highly disengaged. Moreover, the survey found that the number of employees looking to make a move increased – those who said they were going to remain with their current employer fell about five percent, from 27 to 22 percent.

BlessingWhite gauged engagement by looking at how much workers contributed to the success of their company and how satisfied they were with their job. BlessingWhite interviewed more than 11,000 people, including managers and human resource staff in Asia, Australia, China, Europe, India, and North America.

The report showed that workers were not as trusting of corporate leaders as they have been. Workers are more likely to trust people whom they report to directly rather than senior managers. Almost three-fourths of workers in North America said they trust their managers.

But the recession has made it harder for managers to deal with engagement issues. Because many employees were let go during the economic downturn, managers have had to focus on performance and production goals, with less time to work on developing and coaching employees.

Managers know that giving feedback to workers is important, yet that is an area where managers did poorly on the survey. The survey looked at several areas that are associated with high engagement – involvement, recognition, feedback, delegation, talent utilization, coaching, and community building.

Does your New York City company need some strategies to help engage your workers? Then give Winston Resources call. We have strategies and services we can provide you – from recruiting skilled and reliable workers, to pre- and post-employment screening services, and more – to help your company thrive. Contact us today!