The latest Gallup data is pretty bleak. Right now, only 20 percent of workers say they’re actually engaged at work. That means four out of five people on your team are likely just watching the clock and waiting for the day to end.
There is a significant gap in these numbers that deserves a look.
In organizations that Gallup calls best practice companies, manager engagement is sitting at 79 percent. That is a huge jump over the measly one-third average found everywhere else. Many leaders in this group have figured out how to stay engaged as well as keep their teams engaged, even with the stress of AI hanging over everyone’s head.
The question is, what are they doing differently?
Supporting their people is a core priority
High-performing companies make employees a central part of their mission. They realize that a worker will disconnect if they feel like a gear in a machine, especially one that might be replaced by AI.
The best leaders counteract AI anxiety by giving their people a sense of mastery over their work and AI. They provide the training and the guidelines so the team feels in control of the tools. This stops the technology from feeling like a threat.
Proving that humans still matter
This high engagement at the manager level trickles down because these leaders prioritize human validation. They realize that with so much work being automated now, people are looking for proof that their contribution still carries weight.
These best practice managers focus on recognition because it confirms an individual’s value to the business. They use physical employee awards to show a person’s hard work actually matters to the company.
When things get stressful, these leaders lean into appreciation. This is important since 40 percent of workers report high job stress. A well-timed gift set can be a simple way for a manager to support an employee who is having a hard time.
The AI age doesn’t have to mean lower engagement. But you can’t get to that 79 percent engagement level if the culture is treated as an afterthought. Success requires a real commitment to the people who determine the company’s economic output, the people who determine what tools like AI do.