Employee engagement in 2025 – what opportunities do team leaders face?
Gallup ‘ s State of the Global Workplace 2025 reportgives a clear picture. Globally, 21% of employees are engaged in their work. That may sound like a low score, but there’s a huge opportunity hidden in it – because nearly 80% of people are still waiting to feel more meaningful and connected to their organization.
Regional differences are evident in this. In the U.S. and Canada, engagement reaches 31%, while in Europe it is 13% – the lowest in the world. Interestingly, as many as 47% of Europeans rate their personal lives as “thriving.” This shows that the potential for energy and satisfaction is there – it just needs to be transferred to the professional field.
This is very good news for leaders and HR departments. Employees don’t turn away from work, but wait for an environment that gives them a reason to be engaged.
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What does the Gallup data show?
In recent years, engagement rates have fluctuated with global crises. After declines during pandemics, the situation is stabilizing, and organizations can gain an advantage if they take this data as a starting point for positive change.
Gallup gathered responses from employees around the world to the question, “What do you need most at work to feel more connected to your employer?” Their clues are arranged into four areas that become a map for leaders.
Four directions for strengthening engagement
1. Building a community culture
32% of global employees say they need a greater sense of belonging. This is especially important in hybrid and remote work, where it’s easy to feel lonely.
In practice, this means that simple rituals – starting the week together, having short check-in meetings or celebrating small successes – realistically increase the sense of teamwork.
At one IT company in Poland, such activities noticeably improved the atmosphere and got people talking: “we finally feel that we are playing together.”
One of the most effective ways to build community is to get to know the talents of team members. The Gallup test and coaching sessions show how each of us naturally approaches tasks and what we bring to the group. In my daily work, I see that when the team learns the language of talents, not only cooperation grows, but also mutual appreciation and a sense of purpose.
2. Transparent communication by leaders
29% of global employees indicate that they would be more engaged if leaders communicated goals and reasons for decisions more frequently and clearly. This shows that the key is not just what we do, but why we do it.
In a Spanish organization I supported, management introduced regular open “Q&A” sessions. It only took a few such meetings for employees to start saying: “we feel we are taken seriously.”
3. Invest in people and tools
One in four employees globally point to a lack of sufficient resources – and that’s a great signal for companies. Why? Because it shows that even small investments in good tools, adequate team staffing or a fair compensation system can significantly improve engagement levels.
Employees don’t expect luxuries, but a sense that their work is supported. This means that every company, regardless of scale, has a real impact on the motivation of its team.
4. Development and feedback
14% of respondents indicate that they would like more frequent feedback, recognition and development opportunities. This is the smallest group, but at the same time the one that most often determines whether someone stays in the organization for the long term.
Many employees still experience only an annual evaluation, which is no substitute for regular conversations. Meanwhile, it’s the short, weekly 1:1 meetings that can have the most impact on a sense of meaning and growth.
Feedback becomes even more valuable when it is linked to an employee’s talents. The Gallup test allows a leader to see what natural aptitudes are behind an employee’s successes and difficulties. In this way, a development conversation is not just an evaluation, but points to specific directions in which a person can strengthen his or her strengths.
What engagement development options can leaders introduce?
Gallup data clearly shows that employees say what they need. The role of leaders is to translate these expectations into concrete habits.
A few simple steps emerge from my coaching work with managers:
- Give frequent feedback – short conversations are better than a long evaluation once a year.
- Plan a culture – introduce a ritual that builds community, rather than hoping it will “do itself.”
- Talk about meaning – explain the context of the decision, as this is what builds trust.
- Check resources – ask employees what they need to be more effective.
It is these everyday practices that make employees feel important and give the organization a competitive advantage.
Summary
Gallup’s 2025 report is not just a diagnosis – it’s an opportunity map for leaders. The data shows clearly: employees want more community, transparency, investment and feedback.
Europe, with a score of 13% engaged, has huge growth potential today. Poland or Spain are no exception – it is in these contexts that leaders can make the biggest difference.Engagement is not born from surveys and reports, but from everyday experiences. One of the easiest ways to foster it is to work on talent – because a team that knows its strengths and can use them engages naturally and effectively.