UK workers suffer a mid-life work crisis, with engagement levels dipping significantly at 45

A new survey has suggested a correlation between age and engagement levels, with those aged 45 to 54 the most likely to say their manager is not an engaged employee (41 percent), and that they are not an engaged employee (47 percent). In fact, almost two in five (36 percent) British employees think their manager is disengaged at work, according to new research from Rungway. The survey of 2,000 UK people defined an engaged employee as ‘someone who is fully absorbed by and is enthusiastic about their work, and so takes positive action to further the organisation’s interests.’ The findings also suggest managers’ disengagement may impact on employee engagement levels more broadly, with 40 percent of survey respondents saying they themselves are not an engaged employee. Those over 65 were found to be the most engaged at work (76 percent), followed by those aged 25 to 34 (69 percent) and 18 to 24-years-old (64 percent).

These age groups were also most likely to feel they had an engaged manager at work, with almost three quarters (74 percent) of over 65s agreeing, 68 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds agreeing, and 64 percent of 18 to 24-years-olds thinking their manager is engaged at work.

“Managers represent the business and should motivate and inspire the people they work with, said Julie Chakraverty, founder of Rungway.

“These figures suggest there’s room for improvement for managers’ engagement levels and this is unsurprisingly affecting employee engagement too. Unengaged employees walk away, and companies risk losing their best people if they fail to recognise this problem and not take action to fix it.

“Doing so may seem like a big task, so start with some simple questions: what tools could we implement now to make honest communication easier? How can we get true feedback on how people feel? This kind of thinking will provide a springboard for action.”