Effective communication has been consistently shown to enhance employee engagement by fostering a supportive and transparent work environment (Men, et al., 2020). A big part of what makes conversations “effective” is when they are two-way, allowing employees to feel that their opinions are valued and considered. This is shown to increase engagement and employees’ commitment to their work (Orikpete & Ewim, 2024). Employees who can share their concerns also take more ownership of their roles (Raza, et al., 2021).

This is significant in an era of low employee engagement.

Gallup’s most recent State of the Global Workplace report suggests that global employee engagement fell by two percentage points in 2024, costing the world economy an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity. The percentage of engaged employees fell from 23% to 21%. Engagement has fallen only twice in the past 12 years: in 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic, and in 2024.