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HR Tip: Study: Engaged employees have fewer accidents and lower absenteeism


The 2017 Gallup Report, State of the American Workplace, corroborates past studies that engaged employees are measurably more productive and profitable, safer, healthier, more loyal, and less likely to leave their employer. Organizations in the top quartile of engagement had:

While this seems intuitive, many employers fail at engagement - only 33% of US employees are engaged at work, according to the report. The survey is based on 12 questions that measure the most important aspects of employee engagement. Common threads are relationships and trust. When employees feel good about what they are doing, that their job is important, their opinions matter, and they are treated with respect, they will bond in motivational ways.

Here are the 12 questions:

  1. Do you know what is expected of you at work?
  2. Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work right?
  3. At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
  4. In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?
  5. Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?
  6. Is there someone at work who encourages your development?
  7. At work, do your opinions seem to count?
  8. Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?
  9. Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?
  10. Do you have a best friend at work?
  11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?
  12. In the last year, have you had opportunities to learn and grow?