Effective engagement is a perpetual challenge for HR professionals, but given the rise of the gig economy, coupled with record-high employment rates, ensuring that workforces are plugged-in to an organisation’s culture and wider business objectives is now arguably more important than ever.

However, it seems that amid contemporary challenges associated with technological change and wider external factors, employee engagement is falling down the ranks of importance within some organisations – and this is a risk that we cannot afford to take. 

According to Gallup, just 13 per cent of employees are engaged worldwide. However, Mercer’s most recent Global Talent Trends Study found Just one in four (26%) HR leaders view employee engagement as a top priority for 2017.

This is particularly worrying when you consider that Mercer also found that a third of all employees, including those who claim to be happy in their jobs, say they plan to leave their current role in the next 12 months. Equally concerning is the fact that those employees not planning to leave their current roles report they are less ‘energized’ in terms of bringing their authentic selves to work and therefore less likely to thrive in a collaborative and innovative workplace.

It’s no secret that engaged employees are good for business. In fact, according to Gallup, businesses which report the highest levels of engagement enjoy a 20 per cent increase in sales.

Conversely, employees who are actively disengaged have the opposite effect on their organisation’s fortunes. They are more likely to steal from their company, negatively influence their co-workers, miss work days and drive customers away. Disengaged employees are also more likely to leave, which brings additional costs associated with staff turnover. 

It makes sense that all workers – permanent or otherwise – need to feel connected to a company’s ethos if they are to perform to their full potential. They must understand why the organisation exists, and what role they are expected to play in the business’s success. Employees want meaning in their vocation. In fact, for millennials, it is among one of the strongest drivers of retention.

Employee engagement is never a ‘job done’, it needs consistent attention to ensure that the benefits of ongoing initiatives are sustained. Yes, HR leaders are currently facing a turbulent time with changes to legislation, access to talent and impeding Brexit all vying for their attention – but those who let employee engagement fall off the radar do so at their own peril.