Setting expectations and clearly communicating responsibilities to each new hire can pay off in the long run. Yet many companies fall short. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report shows that only 21 percent of employees worldwide were engaged in 2024, down from 23 percent the year before. When employees aren’t engaged, businesses pay the price. Gallup estimates the global economy lost about $438 billion in lost productivity alone. A big reason is that workers don’t always know what’s expected of them. Making roles and responsibilities clear is one of the simplest — and most powerful — ways to boost engagement and strengthen an organization.
Gallup also found that engagement has nearly four times more impact on workplace stress levels than where people work. And with more than half of employees globally considering leaving their jobs — often because expectations are unclear or mismatched — the case for better expectation-setting couldn’t be stronger.
What are employee expectations?
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