The popularity of this group (as well as similar Instagram accounts) might be an indicator of a broader problem.

After trending up in recent years, employee engagement in the U.S. saw its first annual decline in a decade, dropping from 36% engaged employees in 2020 to 34% in 2021, according to Gallup data.

This pattern continued into 2022, as just 32% of full- and part-time employees working for organizations were engaged, while 18% were actively disengaged. (Active disengagement increased by two percentage points from 2021 and four points from 2020.)

Engaged employees are involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace, while their actively disengaged counterparts are disgruntled and disloyal because most of their needs are unmet.

The engagement elements that declined the most from 2019 to 2022 were: 

• clarity of expectations;
• connection to the mission or purpose of the company;
• opportunities to learn and grow;
• opportunities to do what employees do best;
• feeling cared about at work.

Interestingly, younger workers' engagement saw a bigger change than that of their older colleagues.

Engagement for those under age 35 (young millennials and Gen Zers) decreased by four points and active disengagement in this same group increased by four points as well.

Engagement among those 35 years and older, on the other hand, decreased by just two points and the percentage actively disengaged in this group increased by one point.

 In comparison to the older folks, younger workers experienced more decline in:

• feeling cared about;
• having someone who encourages their development;
• opportunities to learn and grow;
• their opinions counting;
• having a best friend at work.

If I could bet, I'd say they're responsible for creating and spreading more memes, too.

When categorized by gender, women experienced a bigger decline in engagement than men; among them, it dropped by four points and active disengagement increased by three.

Engagement among men declined by only one point and active disengagement increased by the same amount.

 In comparison to men, women saw larger declines in:

• feeling cared about at work;
• having someone who encourages their development;
• having progress discussions.

Gallup data suggests that organizations are now beginning to settle into hybrid work arrangements. Only 21% of those in remote-ready jobs are working fully on-site. 53% of employees have some form of a hybrid work arrangement, and 26% are fully remote.

The fact that these tendencies are stabilizing could mean that ways of working in the future are more predictable. But these changes raise the bar on the need for high coordination. The role of the manager has never been more important but sadly, they can't remedy all the problems.