McLean report reveals employees stay put but call out pay, benefits, and career paths as weak links
Employees are clinging to their jobs and engagement has quietly improved, even as AI‑linked layoffs and economic jitters rattle workplaces.
McLean & Company’s Employee Engagement Trends Report 2026 finds 64.2 percent of surveyed employees counted as “Engaged” in 2025, the highest level in five years.
Engagement has risen 1.6 percentage points since 2024, while the share of “Almost engaged” workers has dropped to 18.5 percent, its lowest level since 2019.
The findings draw on 254,852 responses from 240 organisations collected between 1 January and 31 December 2025.
The same report says its Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) – based on how likely staff are to recommend their organisation as “a great place to work” – edged up from 14.3 in 2024 to 16.6 in 2025, also a five‑year high.
Scores above zero indicate more promoters than detractors.
Retention intentions moved in the same direction.
McLean & Company reports that 79.7 percent of employees in 2025 agreed with the statement “I expect to be at the organization a year from now”, up from 77.5 percent in 2024 and 76.7 percent in 2023.
Those outcomes land in a rough external climate.
MetLife says economic uncertainty was one of the top stressors for 68 percent of employees in 2025.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 reports that 41 percent of employers planned to shrink their workforce as skills became obsolete.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas says rapid adoption of automation and AI accounted for 48,414 job cuts in 2025, making technology the second‑leading reason for reductions after cost‑cutting.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the US unemployment rate stayed between 4.0 percent and 4.3 percent from May to October 2024, then climbed to 4.6 percent in November 2025, signalling rising labour‑market uncertainty.
In the same environment, McLean & Company points out that hiring has slowed, the quits rate has dropped to 2 percent, and fears about AI have helped fuel “job-hugging” – employees choosing stability over movement.
For plan sponsors, the sharpest signal sits in the report’s retention drivers.
Total Compensation remains the weakest area at 52 percent top‑box agreement in 2025, even after a one‑point gain from 2024.
Work‑Life Balance sits at 65 percent and Working Environment at 76 percent, both essentially flat year over year.
McLean & Company stresses that organisations cannot move the engagement dial without first meeting expectations on these basics.
Benefits satisfaction shows a modest improvement but leaves a large minority unconvinced.
Agreement with “I am satisfied with my benefit package” rose from 58.3 percent in 2024 to 60.1 percent in 2025.
PolicyAdvisor reports that employers are increasingly tailoring benefits to individual needs rather than simply matching market benchmarks.
Even so, McLean & Company notes that nearly 40 percent of employees still do not report satisfaction with their benefits.
WTW says 57 percent of employers expect to reallocate benefits spending, rather than increase it, prioritising the offerings that deliver the greatest value.
Stress remains a live issue.
McLean & Company’s HR Trends Survey 2026 finds 40 percent of respondents experiencing higher job-related stress than a year earlier, even as Work‑Life Balance scores barely move.
With many organisations planning return‑to‑office initiatives in 2026, the firm says employers need “intentional flexibility” in those policies to support a successful transition.
Cultural and job‑level results show a mix of strengths and fault lines.
In 2025, Inclusion scores 81 percent and Culture 77 percent, while Company Potential reaches 70 percent after a 1.4‑point increase.
Department Collaboration lags at 54 percent, and only 43 percent of employees agree that “Departments communicate effectively with each other.”
On day‑to‑day experience, McLean & Company reports scores of 79 percent for Coworker Relationships, 74 percent for Manager Relationships, 73 percent for Employee Empowerment, 66 percent for Recognition, and 58 percent for Career Advancement & Development.
The firm’s 2024 Exit Survey database shows that opportunities for career advancement are the most common reason people leave.
Manager capability is improving but not enough.
Agreement with “My manager provides me with meaningful feedback” has climbed from 69.2 percent in 2021 to 73.1 percent in 2025, yet only 23 percent of respondents to the HR Trends Survey 2026 rate leaders as highly effective at coaching.
At the same time, skills‑based practices are starting to pay off.
Agreement with “I am given the chance to fully leverage my talents through my job” has risen from 63.6 percent in 2021 to 66.4 percent in 2025.
McLean & Company’s survey finds employees who say they can fully leverage their talents are 2.4 times more likely to expect to remain with their organisation a year later than those who do not.
