Manager Engagement Is Slipping — and Affecting AI Use, Gallup Finds

Why It Matters

Manager enthusiasm now predicts AI adoption success, so falling manager engagement threatens the return on AI investments and overall productivity.

Key Takeaways

• Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025
• Manager engagement dropped nine points to 22% since 2022
• Employees with supportive managers are 8.7× more likely to see AI impact
• Perception gap: 59% managers feel engaged vs 80% employees see decline

Pulse Analysis

The latest Gallup data marks a reversal in a decade‑long upward trend for workplace engagement. After peaking at 23% in 2022, global employee engagement slipped to 20% this year, while manager engagement tumbled from 31% to 22%. The drop is most pronounced outside North America, where engagement remains relatively stable. Analysts attribute the slide to broader economic pressures and a wave of middle‑management reductions that leave front‑line workers with fewer direct contacts for guidance and feedback.

A striking insight from the report is the outsized role managers play in AI adoption. Employees who perceive their manager as an AI champion are 8.7 times more likely to say AI has transformed work output and 7.4 times more likely to feel AI expands their core responsibilities. Yet an AMA survey reveals a stark perception gap: 59% of managers believe their engagement has risen, while 80% of employees report it has stalled or declined. This disconnect erodes trust, dampens the willingness to experiment with new tools, and ultimately slows the realization of AI‑driven efficiencies.

For businesses pouring billions into AI platforms, the findings send a clear signal: technology alone won’t deliver returns without active managerial sponsorship. Companies must invest in leadership development, clear communication frameworks, and coaching programs that equip managers to model AI usage and address employee concerns. Rebuilding manager engagement can close the perception gap, accelerate AI diffusion, and protect the bottom line against the costly inertia of disengaged teams.