The Quiet Cost of Detachment

On the surface, work looks steady again.

The urgency has eased. Fewer dramatic exits. Fewer headlines about mass resignations. From the outside, it seems like the system has settled.

But the data tells a different story.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, only 21% of employees globally are engaged at work, down from 23 percent the year before. Engagement sits at just 31%, one of the lowest levels in the past decade. And nearly half of employees worldwide say they are watching for or actively seeking a new job.

This is not a loud rebellion. It is a subtle withdrawal.

It shows up in capable people doing what is required, but no more. In meetings where fewer hands go up. In talented individuals choosing safety over stretch.

Gallup’s research shows that for 4 consecutive years, employees have named the same 4 priorities when considering a new role: wellbeing, pay and benefits, stability, and the opportunity to do what they do best .

There is no confusion in that.

What we are witnessing is not restlessness. It is recalibration.

People are asking a deeper question now:
Is this somewhere I can build a future without losing myself?

That is harder to measure than turnover.
But it is far more important.

Because belief is what fuels discretionary effort. It is what turns a job into a contribution.

When belief fades, people do not necessarily leave. They protect themselves. They conserve energy. They give what is required, but hold back what is optional.

And optional effort is where innovation lives.
It is where ownership begins.
It is where culture is felt, not just described.

For years, organisations have focused on retention as the primary signal of health. But staying is not the same as thriving. A steady headcount can mask a shrinking sense of possibility.

If engagement continues to decline, the solution will not be louder motivation or more performance pressure.

It will require leaders to look at the system itself.

How work is designed.
How clarity is created.
How purpose is translated into everyday decisions.

Because people are not asking for perfection.

They are asking for work that feels sustainable. Meaningful. Worth their energy.

And that is a leadership responsibility.