Surveys Suggest CEOs, HR May Be Out of Touch With Workforce Red Flags
Three recent studies published by reputable research firms as well as an analysis of human resources priorities for the coming year suggest that leadership may not understand the growing levels of employee disengagement and anger against business, nor the potential impact on their bottom lines.Click here for links to information about EEA sponsors; here to subscribe to ESM weekly; here for an ESM media kit.
Just as reputable surveys detect an unprecedented rise in worker anger and disengagement in the US and world, the global risk study published by the World Economic Forum’s Davos conference this week doesn’t directly address recent surveys by Edelman and Gallup finding that employee engagement has fallen to record lows while public anger at business has reached dangerous highs.
While the World Economic Forum’s recent Global Risks Report 2025 report highlights declining, optimism, deepening geopolitical tensions, a growing sense of fragmentation, and growing environmental and technological risks, as the major challenges, there is no mention of a “dangerous” rise in anger against corporations or record employee disengagement worldwide identified in the recent Edelman and Gallup surveys. Meanwhile, in the Davos event’s sessions on Jobs, Health, and Inclusion, only one session touches on engaging employees or implementing the principles of stakeholder capitalism the organization helped create in 1971.
Davos is considered among the most prominent annual gatherings of business and political leaders in the world.
The results of the most recent 2025 Edelman Trust Study and the latest Gallup Workplace Engagement survey are nothing short of alarming.
The 2025 Edelman study reveals a disturbingly dangerous rise in anger and acceptance of violence to address growing frustrations with corporate behavior, greed, and income inequality. The survey of 33,000 people in 28 countries in fall 2024 finds that 61% globally have a moderate or high sense of grievance, “defined by a belief that government and business make their lives harder and serve narrow interests, and wealthy people benefit unfairly from the system.” Moreover, “40% would approve of one or more of the following forms of hostile activism: attacking people online, intentionally spreading disinformation, threatening or committing violence, damaging public or private property. This sentiment is most prevalent among respondents ages 18-34 (53% approve of at least one).”
Furthermore, “Those with a high sense of grievance see business as 81 points less ethical and 37 points less competent than those with a low sense of grievance, and they believe business is not doing enough to address key societal issues.”
The recently released 2025 Workplace Gallup survey is almost as bleak. According to Jim Harter, Chief Workplace Scientist and author of the study, “Employee engagement in the US fell to its lowest level in a decade in 2024, with only 31% of employees engaged. This matches the figure last seen in 2014. The percentage of actively disengaged employees, at 17%, also reflects 2014 levels.”
Given that CEOs do not appear to recognize the urgency, human capital management and stakeholder value creation isn’t even in the top topics being generally discussed in the human resources field, according to this recent article in ESM. The “wellness” and “experience” buzzwords have reappeared, but almost none of the hot topics being discussed by HR leaders specifically address the need to create value by better engaging employees in the purpose, goals, and objectives of the enterprise and their jobs.
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