Engagement and the Global WorkplaceKey findings to amplify the performance of people, teams and organizationsSteelcase Global Report The senior business leaders we work with tell us they are building cultures that lead to more resilient organizationsconstantly responding to market conditions, while also reinventing and innovating ahead of the market. This level of resiliency demands a group of employ-ees who are highly engaged. Businesses need people who come to work energized, ready to gen-erate new ideas, create new strategies and make meaningful progress every day. They cant afford anything less.But the reality is there arent as many highly en-gaged workers as organizations need. In fact, the number of disengaged office workers outnumbers the engaged, which has a direct impact on the bot-tom line. Solving for this level of disengagement is a complex, difficult task, and many organizations have studied a variety of ways to address this im-portant issue. At Steelcase, weve spent decades researching work and the workplace and thats helped us to understand how the work environment can shape the behaviors of people, reinforce culture and ad-vance business results. Driven by this curiosity about work, workers and the workplace, we want-ed to understand the relationship between em-ployee engagement and the workplace. The Steelcase Global Report is the first study that explores the relationship between employee en-gagement and how people feel about their work-place. Its key findings affirm our belief that the places where people work can influence not only productivity, but also shape employee attitudes and beliefs. It demonstrates that the workplace can be part of a holistic strategy to increase engagement.Leading organizations know that complex prob-lems require new ideas that challenge convention-al thinking. I invite you to read this report, learn from our research and work with us to explore ways your workplace can help your people be-come more resilient and highly engaged. Jim KeaneForewordMessage From Jim KeaneCEO, Steelcase Inc.2 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceExploring Engagement Around the WorldBelgiumCanadaChinaFranceGermanyIndiaMexicoNetherlandsPolandRussiaKingdom of Saudi ArabiaSouth AfricaSpainTurkeyUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesAppendix46 49596979899910911912913914915916917918919920921951215 41Executive Summary Engagement and the Global WorkplaceKey FindingsThe Resilient Workplace: How the Physical Environment Can HelpCoNTeNTs3 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceBECACnFRDEInMXnlPlRuSAZAESTRAEGBuSAbouT The sTudyThe Steelcase Global Report is published by Steelcase Inc. All rights reserved. 16-0000104 Copyright 2016. Trademarks contained herein are the property of Steelcase Inc. or of their respective owners. qpUse this legend to better understand the symbols and color coding used in the charts and graphics for easier interpretation of the data. Color Code Highly Engaged and Highly Satisfied WorkersHighly Disengaged and Highly Dissatisfied WorkersNeutral Workers (Neither Engaged nor Disengaged)Global AverageCountry AverageHyperlink ColorSymbolsNoteworthyHighest score in the study Lowest score in the study Hyperlinks Text hyperlinks are underlined4 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceAbout the StudySteelcase partnered with global research firm Ipsos* for this unprecedented research effort to measure relevant dimensions of employee engagement and workplace satisfactionboth powerful indicators of worker wellbeing and organizational performance. 17 Countries 12,480 Participants5 Key Findingsunderstanding the Data * For more information about Ipsos, see page 248. exeCuTive summAryEmployee engagement is a serious bottom-line issue. It fuels organizations during times of eco-nomic growth and, more critically, when market conditions are uncertain and volatile. When workers become disengaged, it costs com-panies money, slows projects, drains resources and undermines company goals, as well as the efforts of their engaged counterparts. This is why employee engagement is one of the key issues facing leading global organizations todayanizations might be able to absorb the effects of a handful of disengaged workers, but many business leaders dont realize how significant the problem is. This study found that more than one-third of workers in 17 of the worlds most important economies are disengaged and another third are somewhere in the middle, not working against their companies but not driving better business results either.Like other complex problems facing business leaders today, employee engagement has many variables that are difficult to address and slow to change. Building on decades of primary research about work and the workplace, Steelcase partnered with global research firm Ipsos to understand how the places where people work impact employee en-gagement. We posed these questions:Can the office be used as a strategic lever to impact engagement? What kinds of changes to the work environment will make the biggest impact?The findings of this study indicate that the work environment can either augment or hinder efforts to boost employee engagement. It also identifies areas of change to the workplace that can have the most positive impact. Here are the key findings:1. Employee Engagement Positively Correlates with Workplace Satisfaction 2. Engaged Employees Have More Control Over Their Experiences at Work 3. Fixed Technology Exceeds Mobile 2:1 4. Traditional Workstyles Persist 5. Cultural Context Influences Engagement Levels Executive Summary5 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceThe study found that more than one-third of workers in 17 of the worlds most important economies are disengaged.6 sTeelCAse globAl reporT | eNgAgemeNT ANd The globAl workplACeexeCuTive summAryeNgAgemeNTsATisFACTioNThe data reveal high workplace satisfaction positively correlates with high employee engagement.The data show that workers who are highly satis-fied with various aspects of their workplace also demonstrate higher levels of engagement. Yet, only 13 percent of global workers are highly engaged and highly satisfied with their workplace. The inverse is true as well: 11 percent of employees are highly dissatisfied with their offices and are also highly disengaged. The disturbing question raised by this data is given that a small number of people are doing the heavy lifting at work, could disengaged counterparts in effect cancel out their efforts? The positive finding, however, is the correlation between engagement and workplace satisfaction, which indicates that changing the work environment can be an important tool for organizations to deploy as part of a strategy to improve engagement.11 percent of global workers are highly dissatisfied with their offices and are also highly disengagedHighly EngagedHighly Satisfied with Workplace13 percent of global workers are highly engaged and highly satisfied with their workplace Highly Dissatisfied with WorkplaceHighly Disengaged11%26%29%21%13%Key Finding1. Employee Engagement Positively Correlates with Workplace Satisfaction7 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceexeCuTive summAryA distinguishing characteristic of engaged employees is that they have a greater degree of control over where and how they work, including access to privacy when they need it. They are empowered, both by organizational decisions and the spaces made available to them within their workplace, to make choices about where and how they work. This means they can manage their need for privacy so they can concentrate easily and work with teams without disruptions. Engaged employees tend to work in organizations that support two-way communication: Real-time information about the company is available and people are able to freely express their ideas. This finding suggests that a key design principle for the workplace is to create a range of spacesfor groups and individuals, mobile and resident work-ersand corresponding work policies that enable employees to make choices about the best ways to work. The data demonstrate a correlation between how much control employees have in their workplace and their engagement level.Can you choose where to work within the office based on the task you are doing?14+ 24+ 59+ 71+ 88+Highly DisengagedSomewhat DisengagedNeutral Somewhat EngagedHighly Engaged14%24%59%71%250507510088%Key Finding2. Engaged Employees Have More Control Over Their Experiences at Work8 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceexeCuTive summAryDespite the high global adoption of mobile devices for personal use, the vast majority of study partici-pants report that their organizations provide twice as much fixed technology versus mobile options for work. This may be the result of an intentional strategy based on the type of work people are doing, or it could reflect the challenges of keeping up with constantly changing technology. Either way, employee mobility, both inside and outside the office, and peoples ability to fully utilize a range of spaces in the office is influenced by the organiza-tions technology choices. Some jobs require people to be at their desk most of the time, for which fixed technology is a viable solution. Others, whose jobs require increased collaboration, greater degrees of interaction and more information sharing, may find that mobile technology, or technology that allows them to ac-cess information throughout the workplace, can be an enabler. People who need access to digital infor-mation for their work may feel tied to their desks and less likely to engage with colleagues who arent physically nearby. Given the changes in how people work, organizations will want to consider how their workplace and technology strategies align.The vast majority of workers use fixed technology at work.Key Finding3. Fixed Technology Exceeds Mobile 2:1Does your employer equip you with: Landline TelephoneDesktop ComputerMobile Phone LaptopTablet86+ 80+ 39+ 39+ 14+86%80%39%39%14%9 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceexeCuTive summAryMedia and popular culture may create the percep-tion that workplaces have changed dramatically in the past decade and that offices are open, informal and collaborative. In some places this is true. But the reality for employees around the world is that most people work in traditional office environments, with an emphasis on hierarchy and desk-based individual work. Workplace design and work experiences vary widely, even between neighboring countries, yet nearly two-thirds of employees say they work in either individual or shared private offices. Entirely open offices represent a significant portionnearly one-fourth of the workplace landscapebut they certainly are not the norm. Neither extremeentirely enclosed or openis always the right solution and these find-ings suggest that organizations may not have ade-quately advanced their workplaces in ways that promote higher degrees of engagement.What type of workspace do you work in?Key Finding4. Traditional Workstyles PersistNearly two-thirds of employees say they work in either individual or shared private offices.Individual Private OfficesShared Private OfficesOpen Plan, Assigned SpaceNomadic23+ 37+ 33+ 8+23%37%33%8%10 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceexeCuTive summAryeNgAgemeNTsATisFACTioNHighly Disengaged + Highly DissatisfiedHighly Engaged + Highly Satisfied5% France 7% Spain 6% Belgium28% India 22% Mexico20% United Arab EmiratesExploring Contrasts: The Percentage of Highly Engaged and Highly Satisfied Employees at Opposite Ends of the Spectrum* For country abbreviation listing, see page 3.InCnMXZAuSAEnlCADETRGBSABEESRuPlFRThe most highly engaged employees tend to hail from emerging economies and the least engaged often come from countries in well-established markets. Analysis of the data identified a pattern indicating that the country where employees live, its culture and the resulting expectations have an impact on how highly engaged and satisfied they are with their workplace. While there are exceptions to this pattern, the finding suggests cultural and economic context influence employee perceptions and attitudes about their organization and working environments. This can impact whether employees find the plac-es where they work highly satisfactory and their work highly engaging. This finding can be valuable to multinational organizations when considering the appropriate workplace design across different company locations.Highly EngagedHighly DisengagedCultural context can have a tremendous influence on engagement and workplace satisfaction.Key Finding5. Cultural Context Influences Engagement levelsHighly Satisfied with WorkplaceHighly Dissatisfied with Workplace11 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceAbout the StudyCountries 17 Participants 12,480Key Findings 5Engagement and the Global WorkplaceSteelcase partnered with global research firm Ipsos for this unprecedented research effort to measure relevant dimensions of employee engagement and workplace satisfactionboth powerful indicators of worker and organizational wellbeing. The number of participants affords the opportuni-ty to identify macro trends, yet its also a reflection of individuality: Each set of responses represents unique preferences and perspectives that defy stereotyping. Despite the differences among indi-viduals, the data clearly identify broad patterns, yielding insights that deepen our understanding of people at work. 12 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceParticipants by Country BelgiumCanadaChinaFranceGermanyIndiaMexicoNetherlandsPolandRussiaKingdom of Saudi ArabiaSouth AfricaSpainTurkeyUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States420802803824803802796407832808450802803802701816809Gender52% Male48% FemaleAge42% 1834 28% 354420% 455410% 55+Job Title10% Senior manager28% Manager23% Technician / associate39% Clerk + service / salesIndustries 5% Mining / Gas12% Industry (auto, good, oil, chemical and other)3% Energy 1% Water Supply4% Transportation 5% Telecommunications9% Retail3% Hospitality8% Banking / Finance6% Business Services7% Information Technology34% Public Sector* * this includes respondents from public healthcare, education and government organizationsStudy DemographicsParticipants included office workers only, from companies with 100 employees or more.13 steelcase global report | engagement and the global WorkplaceEngagEmEnT anD ThE global WorkplacECEOs of leading organizations recognize employee engagement is one of the most critical metrics for businesses today and that it has significant bottom-