Gallup defines employee engagement as the “involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace.” Year over year, Gallup research consistently shows that employee engagement in the United States hovers between 30 and 36 percent. In many U.S. organizations, as much as 70 percent of the workforce is disengaged — they are not involved in or enthusiastic about their work and workplace. From an organizational perspective, this lack of engagement implies an extraordinary waste of organizational productivity. From a human perspective, this implies a stunning waste of human potential. 

Gallup research and Workplace Peace Institute research consistently find that when organizations orient performance management systems around basic human needs and dignity needs, psychological needs such as acceptance, acknowledgment, recognition, fairness, and emotional safety, employees experience more engagement and contribute to the organization at higher levels. This translates directly to increased productivity and improved bottom line profit. We know that organizations are missing opportunities for innovation, organizational growth, and profitability, and individuals are missing opportunities for accessing their potential and are failing to thrive in the individual and collective human experience. Leaders must prioritize basic human needs and dignity needs to meet the challenges of today’s workplace.