There is something broken about the concept of work. That it is not discretionary as most people feel compelled to do it. That if they had a choice and money was no object, they would rather be doing something else.

With trends like the great resignation, quiet quitting and the more recent, the great detachment, linked to the unhappiness experienced by Gen Zs at work. All indices are pointing to disconnection with work.

Else, why do we ask people what their dreams are?

Why aren’t most people living their dream?

To know that most workers are psychologically checked out at work, really makes me wonder about the notion of work.

In HR we talk about Employee Engagement; a positive work oriented mindset characterised by vigour, dedication and absorption. Yet the data tells us that only 23% of the global workforce are engaged at work.

Engagement levels are 30% in America and much lower in Africa and Europe where levels average 13%.

Why does the engagement with work matter? Should we care or accept these abysmal levels as life’s ebbs and flows?

Engagement affects productivity, performance and profits. A disengaged workforce is costly and performs 20% lower than engaged counterparts. Add remote workers to the mix and the implications of disengaged workers are dire.

Even for organisation doing well, just imagine what performance could be with actually engaged staff.

Is finding pleasure in work a delusional myth?

Is work meant to be enjoyed or simply endured?

Who is going to fix this or should it just be?

Your thoughts?

#engagement #connection #futureofwork #detachment