Report: Employee engagement a top priority, but it’s not so easy

People expect a bit more razzle-dazzle (and fewer sawblade incidents) from their workplace experience.

Executives and internal communicators know that employees increasingly demand an engaged, pleasant work environment, but how exactly to create that is the big question.

A new report from Deloitte has tried to address this issue by identifying specific elements that formulate a great employee experience. Deloitte also highlights common improvement impediments, such as role confusion, lack of accountability and a dearth of investment in employee satisfaction.

The issue of employee engagement, or lack thereof, has major implications for employers. One study found that disinterested, unmotivated staff members cost the U.S. economy upward of $500 billion per year.

This Deloitte report found that “nearly 80 percent of executives rated employee experience very important (42 percent), but only 22 percent reported that their companies were excellent at building a differentiated employee experience.”