Work engagement varies according to profession and gender
Work engagement is a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind characterized by experiences of vigour, dedication and absorption. It is about experiencing work as meaningful and being enthusiastic and happy about your job. Unlike serious symptoms caused by poor well-being at work, work engagement is a rather common phenomenon at workplaces and most of experience it at least from time to time.
Work engagement is known to have various positive effects on, for example, physical and mental health, good work performance and productivity, positive attitude towards the workplace and an autonomous and innovative approach to work.
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s Work Engagement Test is a self-assessment test that anyone in an employment relationship can use to assess their positive experiences of well-being and motivation at work.
Approximately one in six respondents experience relatively high or high levels of work engagement, i.e. they experience work engagement on average several times per week or on a daily basis. Correspondingly, about 41% of them experience work engagement once per week or less frequently, which means that their level of work engagement is average or low. 58% of employees in permanent employment relationships and 61% of those in temporary relationships experience high levels of work engagement.
Work engagement is most common in demanding interpersonal positions and artistic jobs as well as among managers. Work engagement is least common in industry. Women are more likely to experience work engagement than men. In profession-specific comparison, women also experienced work engagement more often than or at least as often as men, with the exception of construction, where men experienced high levels of work engagement more often than women.
You can familiarise yourself with the test results in more detail on the website of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, where you can also take the Work Engagement Test yourself.
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