Too many businesses are missing a trick on employee engagement

Last month, official government data showing that over the last decade the UK’s labour productivity fell to a level lower than at any time in the 20^th century, let alone the 21^st, went almost unnoticed. Yet productivity matters. It is the foundation stones on which economic growth, good jobs and higher wages are built. Frustratingly, the UK’s productivity puzzle remains unsolved.

So, what to do? When firms cast around for ways to improve their productivity performance, much of their time, money and effort are invested into new (and existing) technologies to get more out of their business. And rightly so, as rapid tech and digital advances are creating new and better ways of working. In parallel, businesses are investing heavily in the skills of the future that they and their staff need.

But new research from the CBI and McKinsey suggests that too many businesses are missing a trick by