Employee engagement continues to decline, with half of U.S. respondents stating they are not engaged at work and 17% actively disengaged, according to a Gallup study. This marks the second consecutive year of declining self-reported levels of employee engagement. The data also shows that many employees are ready to find new employment opportunities, with 71% stating now is a good time to do so and 47% actively searching or watching for new job openings. In the life sciences industry, where talent demand is high, companies are increasing wages by 10% or more across all employees in response to inflation and competition for talent.
The talent war has put the market squarely in favor of employees as organizations struggle with retention and hiring. Companies have resorted to outsourcing roles or eliminating them entirely, exacerbating struggles among organizations hiring regulatory affairs and compliance staff, computational biology/statistics experts and product/process development personnel. Employers can take steps to improve employee engagement by focusing on winnable employees and providing better managers who encourage support from the top down. Respondents cited company culture, pay and benefits, and well-being as primary areas for improvement.