Study Shows Gen Z and Millennials Embracing Entrepreneurship

What defines an engaged employee? 

Scaling Without Burnout: Upcoming masterclass with Kevin Lawrence

To start, what’s a pesky employee problem for you right now? I'll bet it’s that worker who's "phoning it in." They're at their (home) desk and in the (Zoom) meeting but you suspect that's about the extent of their engagement.

 [Gallup](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Study-shows-employees-disengaged-at-work) says nearly 8 out of every 10 workers (77%) are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged.”

If you've got a few, you'll go to bed wondering ‘What more can I do to engage my staff?’

Below we offer a quick overview of what top business coaches and CEOs know about valuing your employees in a way that keeps them happy and giving their all.

Phoning it in - the disengaged team member

Don’t assume they’ll be motivated by a push up the leadership ladder.

Deloitte’s 2025 GenZ and Millennial [Survey](https://www.deloitte.com/ce/en/issues/work/genz-millennial-survey.html)  found more Gen Z are motivated by **work-life balance, meaningful work,** and **learning and development opportunities** than chasing leadership positions - which appeals to fewer than one in 10 (6%) of them.

#### Entertaining learning event for teams

An ideal learning opportunity to build engagement among teams of all ages is our October 29 live virtual event with millennial entrepreneur and investor [Steven Bartlett](https://stevenbartlett.com/), the celebrated host of podcast phenomenon ["The Diary of a CEO"](https://stevenbartlett.com/doac/) and the youngest-ever Dragon on the long-running BBC series Dragons’ Den.

Tickets are available to [**STEVEN BARTLETT: REDEFINING LEADERSHIP, INNOVATION, AND THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS**](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/a02RG00000Dde2wYAB/overview?campaign_id=701RG00000iP9TfYAK&promo=Blog&type=Affiliate) which will run from 9:00-10:30am AEDT and include a live Q&A session with participants.

Steven will engage and entertain your team members as he shares stories and his techniques to succeed in leadership, innovation, and business.

Motivating the next generation 

Employment [studies](https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/469.pdf) show an employee who’s engaged is more than just “satisfied.”

·       Engaged employees are _passionate, committed_ and _dedicated_ to their organisation

·       Engaged employees put in _discretionary effort_

·       Engaged employees are _supportive_ of the organisation’s values and goals

·       Engaged employees are _advocates_ for the company

·       Engaged employees feel the relationship with their organisation is _two-way_

As well, an employee who’s engaged is less prone to stress and _happier_ to have around

Don't you love the sound of this employee? Hired!

What defines an engaged employee?

I bet you’ve got a can of WD-40 in your garage.

Why is employee engagement important? 

That little blue and yellow can’s not just good for oiling your rusty bike chain, it’s a success story of employee engagement.

 Whitney Johnson in [_“Build an A-Team”_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/BuildAnATeam) shares that at WD-40 Company:

*   93% of employees consider themselves to be engaged at work
*   60% say they can satisfy their career objectives without ever leaving the company

She adds that no-one's been able to unseat the fifties-era WD-40 from its top spot as the household “go-to” lubricant and 200 rival products have tried! 

**Engaged employees stay longer**

Employee retention is also sky high at WD-40.

_"We don’t just keep great people - we invest in them, hence our 90% year-over-year employee retention rate. At WD-40 Company, we prioritize learning and development, helping our team grow and making our company a great place to build a career."_ - a 2025 WD-40 Company LinkedIn post 

It clearly works. Nine out of 10 (90%) of team members say the work they do at WD-40 Company gives them a sense of _personal accomplishment_! 

The WD-40 story makes it clear that clear engaged employees:

\-        Stay with their company and thrive there (up to 59% less turnover - [Gallup](https://news.gallup.com/poll/165269/worldwide-employees-engaged-work.aspx)).

\-        Treat customers better and attract new ones (21% higher profitability - Gallup).

\-        Produce substantially better business outcomes (17% greater productivity - Gallup)

Employee learning is also easier to achieve when staff are engaged and open to new ideas.

How’d you like employees so engaged [Deloitte comes knocking](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/HOWTHISCEOSTEAMGOTSOGOODDELOITTECAMEKNOCKING) wanting your whole team?

Back in 2018, former Australian CEO Dean Robertson got that knock after his company Mexia was named Microsoft Partner of the Year and a Top 10 great place to work.

In interview with Growth Faculty, Dean shared these evergreen tips for engaging employees:

*   **Connect them to a purpose**. Share day to day your vision about where the company is going and why
*    **Ensure nobody feels like a second-class citizen**. _Every_ team member is important
*   **Be immediately generous with your time and resources.** Don’t scrimp on the quality of laptops (or staff drinks)
*   **Delegate and trust them.** Let them have a go even if they may make mistakes
*   **Be humble about your own skills** and be honest and open about your mistakes
*   **Listen first and seek first to understand**
*   **Seek advice and opinions** from them
*   **Publicly thank and congratulate them** for good work at every opportunity

_“Never buy the basics drinks package for a team event.” –_ Award-winning former CEO Dean Robertson

How can employee engagement be improved?

WD-40 Company says loud and proud on its website that it _"fosters a strong culture of learning and accountability in a collaborative, team environment."_

[Research](https://hbr.org/2017/01/make-learning-a-lifelong-habit) published in HBR links lifelong learning to happiness. An employer who ignores training and learning also ignores 3 key benefits:

*   **Retention** - 94% of employees say they'd stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning development (LinkedIn 2019 Workplace Learning Report)
*   **Performance** - [Study](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332537797_The_Importance_of_Training_and_Development_in_Employee_Performance_and_Evaluation) shows training and development is a significant motivator for employees.
*   **Engagement** - [Research](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314511076_Enhancing_employee_engagement_through_training_and_development) shows significant effect on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, advocacy, pride, intention to stay, and overall employee engagement score.

One [Seek study](https://www.seek.com.au/employer/hiring-advice/why-learning-and-development-matters-in-the-workplace) showed 67% of employees expected their employers to pay for their [upskilling](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/upskillingtrendsimproveadaptability) activities. Only 25% had participated in formal training in the past year, and 39% were keen for more. 

Of all the [employee engagement ideas that work](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/onlinebusinesscourseskeytoengagement?recacheSoql=true), online L&D is one of the most effective, inexpensive, flexible, and time-effective forms of HR training.

Role of L&D in employee engagement

Really, it’s logical.

If I am gunning to get to my workplace and doing my best stuff when I’m there, my company wins.

If I’m an engaged worker: 

·       My sick days are at a bare minimum

·       I’m not looking for another job

·       I’m not stressed so I’m thinking critically and creatively

·       I’m not feeling [unsafe at work](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/psychologicalsafetyedmondsonfearlessworkplace), wasting time on self-preservation

·       I am singing the praises of my company to customers and friends

·       I am happier and I’m a positive influence on others in the team

·       I am keen for skills training so I’m increasing my human capital value

How does employee engagement drive growth?

Ever had the Sunday Blues?

Patrick Lencioni, in his book _The Truth about Employee Engagement_ says Sunday Blues describes those dread and depression feelings at the end of the weekend.

They are not the feelings of an engaged team member, nor are they fun to experience. 

We _all_ want to enjoy going to work and feeling valued when we get there.

So, leaders need to work harder to ensure staff are clear about the direction of the organisation, are stimulated by learning and development, and are feeling safe, productive, and engaged.

I think you’ll agree, leaving it to chance in 2026 isn’t an option.

Main photo by [Farhan Shaikh](https://unsplash.com/@thesliceofliving?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-blue-and-white-plaid-dress-shirt-sitting-on-chair-srbF1ws13-4?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)

Photo of WD-40 by [Ансплэш Степана](https://unsplash.com/@sgalagaev?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-ferret-sniffing-a-can-of-glue-on-a-table-vbnK95q4GTM?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)

What defines an engaged employee?

Simple, cost-effective techniques to boost engagement and productivity

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

What defines an engaged employee?

Simple, cost-effective techniques to boost engagement and productivity

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired