In 2014, United Minds first discovered an important global trend in brand reputation: employees in countries worldwide were – unprompted – speaking out on behalf of their organizations using their nascent social media platforms.

By 2017, we observed that the balance of employee advocacy had shifted more toward employee activism. This was fueled by a gap between what the company presented about itself externally and the actual experience of working there, which was a thread that leaders needed to be aware of and address.

In the midst of global upheaval – 2021 – we found that employees were searching for purpose and the ability to make an impact on the workplace.

These prescient findings appeared in our first study, Employees Rising: Seizing the Opportunity in Employee Activism (2014), our follow-up study, The Employer Brand Credibility Gap: Bridging the Divide (2017) and our next study, The Contribution Effect (2021).

Spurred by the findings of these studies, we checked back on the state of employee activism, from current levels of engagement to perspectives on leadership. Our findings span 14 countries across six continents.

What we found will surprise you.

It will also likely leave every employer asking how they can continue to upend and recalibrate employee engagement efforts so that they earn value and drive maximum impact: on satisfaction, on retention, on productivity and on advocacy.

Thank you for reading – let us know what you think. We look forward to hearing from you!