Why employee engagement is more important than ever: Insights from Gallup's 2025 Global Workplace Report
In a time of unprecedented workplace transformation, the 2025 Gallup State of the Global Workplace report offers timely and crucial insights into how employees feel about their work and lives. Gallup, a global leader in analytics and advice, surveyed workers across the world to measure critical indicators such as engagement, wellbeing, and emotional experiences at work.
What is employee engagement – and why is it important?
Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are highly involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace. These employees:
Feel connected to the organisation's mission
Are motivated to perform at their best
Show higher productivity and greater loyalty
Are less likely to be looking for a new job
Positively influence team morale
Gallup's research shows that 70% of team engagement is directly linked to the manager, making leadership and communication more important than ever.
Key global and European findings
Globally, only 21% of employees are engaged, a drop of 2 percentage points from the previous year — equal to the decline seen during the peak of COVID-19.
In Europe, engagement is even lower at just 13%, placing it at the bottom of all regions surveyed.
33% of employees globally are “thriving” in their lives, while 58% are “struggling”.
22% of employees reported feeling lonely, with Europe showing the lowest levels of sadness and loneliness, but also among the lowest engagement.
These results paint a mixed picture — while emotional wellbeing in Europe shows relative resilience, workplace engagement is alarmingly low.
What’s Driving the Decline?
The steepest decline in engagement came from managers, whose engagement fell from 30% to 27%. Factors include post-pandemic instability, increased workloads, and a disconnect between executive expectations and employee needs.
This decline is especially concerning given the critical role managers play in shaping team culture and performance.
What can organisations do?
Gallup identifies three key actions:
Provide basic training for all managers to cut disengagement in half.
Coach managers in effective leadership practices, which can improve performance by 20–28%.
Invest in manager wellbeing, which boosts both their engagement and that of their teams.
How Colibo Supports Employee Engagement
At Colibo, we believe in enabling organisations to build thriving, connected workplaces. Our platform is designed with employee engagement at its core:
Smart internal communication tools to ensure clarity of expectations
Recognition and feedback features to foster motivation and appreciation
Knowledge sharing and collaboration spaces to empower learning and growth
Personalised social feeds and chat functions to strengthen team relationships
Mobile access for hybrid and remote teams to stay connected
With Colibo, you provide your employees with the tools they need to feel heard, connected, and empowered — no matter where they work.
The Takeaway
The 2025 Gallup report is a wake-up call for leaders in Europe and beyond. Employee engagement is not a “nice to have” — it’s a key driver of organisational success, resilience, and wellbeing. With Colibo, you can take meaningful steps to build a more engaged, productive, and happy workplace.
💡 Would you like to hear more about how Colibo can help your organisation? Contact us here
🔗 Read the full Gallup 2025 report here
