Employee Engagement in North America: 2025 Insights & Imperatives

Gallup’s latest engagement data shows North America leads the world in employee engagement, but still has massive untapped potential. Here’s what US and Canadian companies should focus on next.

One-on-one check-ins remain one of the most powerful culture tools, especially when backed by real-time feedback and smart nudges.

North America Leads, But Isn’t Leading Enough

The US tops the global engagement charts at 33%, with Canada not far behind. But even here, two-thirds of employees still aren’t engaged. For companies across North America, that’s not a win, it’s a warning.

The Engagement Ceiling: How to Break Through It

Despite strong infrastructure and investments, North American firms often stall out on engagement. Why? Annual surveys dominate, but lack of follow-through and limited manager support hinder lasting change.

Charting the Advantage: Employee Engagement in North America

Gallup’s 25-year trendline shows U.S. engagement peaked in 2020 and has since dipped, while active disengagement is trending upward, highlighting the urgency for smarter culture tools.

Culture Tech Isn’t Optional Anymore

Top-performing firms in the US and Canada are doubling down on culture intelligence. That means smarter manager nudges, predictive analytics, and real-time feedback – not just dashboards that collect dust.

What High-Growth Companies Are Doing Differently

• Running weekly pulse surveys, not yearly ones

• Equipping managers with real-time sentiment tools

• Benchmarking against peer companies in similar industries

• Closing the loop fast with AI-generated summaries and nudges

The North American Mandate

North America may be ahead, but it’s far from done. The next leap in productivity, retention, and resilience will come from operationalizing culture intelligence at every level.

TL;DR

What is employee engagement in North America in 2025?

The US leads with 33% engaged employees; Canada follows closely behind (Gallup).

What holds back further engagement gains?

Overreliance on surveys without follow-through, and under-supported people managers.

What can North American companies do better?

Invest in real-time culture tools, smarter nudges, and manager enablement.

What are leading companies doing differently?

Weekly pulses, closed-loop feedback, team dashboards, and predictive trend tracking.

What platform supports this approach?

The Culture Contract delivers AI-powered engagement tools purpose-built for North American teams.