South Asia leads the world in employee engagement at 33%

• Majority of the world’s employees are “quiet quitting”
• South Asia employee engagement jumps 7%
• Half of South Asian workers are seeking a new role

Employees in South Asia have become the most highly engaged workers in the world, but are also experiencing increased levels of stress and the highest global levels of daily anger.

Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report found that 33% of employees in South Asia are engaged and thriving. This is a 7% increase over last year’s numbers––and 10% higher than the global average.

Engagement rising, but so is stress

Although engagement declined in 2020, it has steadily returned to pre-pandemic levels globally.

Twenty-three percent of the world’s employees describe themselves as engaged at work, the highest level since Gallup began measuring global engagement in 2009.

The company has surveyed 2.2 million employees since then, roughly 160,000 per year, to get a sense of how people feel about their work and job prospects.

Employee engagement is considered a key metric to track, as it impacts everything from customer loyalty to employee retention and productivity.

Disengaged employees have 37% higher absenteeism, 18% lower productivity and 15% lower profitability, which they estimate costs the global economy $8.8 trillion, and accounts for 9% of global GDP.

Much of this year’s global increase in engagement was due to South Asia’s 7% jump, with the region now leading the world in employee engagement.

“These employees find their work meaningful and feel connected to the team and their organization. They feel proud of the work they do and take ownership of their performance, going the extra mile for teammates and customers,” the study’s authors said.

However, they also reported that employee stress remains at record-high levels in South Asian workplaces – 36%, compared to 21% globally, alongside high daily levels of anger.

What is stressing out the world’s employees? The survey does not ask for specifics, but, “Work itself can be a source of stress, and low engagement is related to higher stress” notes the report.

“External factors, like inflation or family health issues, can also be sources of daily stress.”

Quiet quitters dominate

The report also highlighted that the majority – 59% – of the world’s employees are “quiet quitting”. This means over half describe themselves as putting in the minimum effort required, and feel disconnected from their employers.

An additional 18% have been dubbed “loud quitters”, meaning they take actions that directly harm their organizations, undercutting company goals and opposing leaders.

Location, location, location

While there were no meaningful differences by age and gender, where and how people worked certainly had an impact. Globally, remote working employees (30%), and those with hybrid arrangements (24%), described themselves as more engaged than those working exclusively on-site (21%).

However, Gallup was keen to highlight that engagement has 3.8 times as much influence on employee stress as work location. “Fully remote and hybrid employees are more highly engaged than fully on-site employees. But they also report higher stress and a higher tendency to be watching for other jobs,” says Jim Harter, chief workplace scientist.

Global jobs resurgence

When it comes to the job climate, South Asia mirrors global trends which show that over half of employees feel that now is a good time to find a job, with 50% of South Asian workers seeking a new role.

Are you one of them? The TechWire Asia Job Board features great tech companies currently hiring, like the three below.

Autodesk

From greener buildings to smarter products and show-stopping blockbusters, Autodesk software helps teams to work better and smarter together, regardless of location or industry. The San Francisco, California–headquartered company has more than 10,000 employees worldwide and was recently recognised as a Best Workplace for Innovators in 2023 by Fast Company. You can check out all open roles at Autodesk right here.

Paypal

American fintech company Paypal is on a mission to make financial services more convenient, affordable and secure, globally. The organization, which employs almost 30,000 people, has been at the forefront of the digital payment revolution for more than 20 years. Guided by values of innovation and collaboration, your work here will help connect people and businesses in more than 200 markets around the world. PayPal offers a wide variety of roles, including on-site, fully virtual, and hybrid. Explore all open positions here.

Google

Since its founding in 1998, Google has grown to become one of the world’s most recognisable technology companies, with 100,000 employees and over 100 offices internationally. Known for innovation across a dizzying array of industries, it is also recognised for its world-class benefits packages and open, collaborative culture. Ready to be a Googler? Find its current job openings here.

You can browse thousands more open positions on the TechWire Asia Job Board

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