Managers are struggling to engage the youngest workers in the UK labour force, with new research suggesting nearly two-thirds find Generation Z the toughest group to motivate.
A 2025 Workplace Engagement Report from learning platform Kahoot! found that almost two-thirds of HR managers said employees aged 16 to 24 were the most difficult group to keep engaged at work. The findings add to concerns that many managers are reaching breaking point themselves, with over half reporting burnout and more than one in three considering quitting in the past year.
Gen Z number around 4.3 million Gen Z workers in the UK, making them the third-largest age group in the labour market. Yet the study found that many employers view them as the most challenging to connect with. Kahoot!, a global learning and engagement platform, commissioned the research, which was conducted by Researchscape among HR and training professionals in August.
The results suggest that workplace engagement is strained at both ends of the hierarchy. While managers are expected to drive motivation, 53 percent said they felt burned out from juggling too many priorities, and 35 percent admitted they had thought about leaving their roles altogether.
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Managers ‘stretched thin’
The study found that disengagement was being fuelled by pressures on HR leaders themselves. Nearly four in 10 managers said they experienced burnout every month, while many reported that constant efforts to engage Gen Z staff left them exhausted. Half said that employee apathy was their single biggest drain, and 41 percent pointed to ineffective meetings and events as a source of frustration.
The findings echo wider international surveys, such as Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, which earlier this year warned that manager engagement had reached record lows. Observers warn that without urgent intervention, employers risk creating a cycle where managers unable to inspire staff contribute to wider workforce disengagement.
Kahoot’s chief executive, Eilert Hanoa, said disengagement was becoming entrenched across organisations. “Engagement is an issue on all fronts, not just one faced by employees in more junior roles,” he said. “The data is clear: leaders are burning out and becoming unable to motivate their younger colleagues — especially those in the Gen Z demographic — who in turn are switching off. If companies don’t begin to tackle disengagement, they risk losing both their leaders and their future workforce.”
Lack of training and tools
One of the central issues highlighted in the report is a lack of preparation managers receive for tackling engagement challenges. A third of respondents said they had not received adequate training on re-engaging teams, while 14 percent reported no training at all.
Only a small proportion, 14 percent, said their organisation always provided effective tools for engagement. Many of those surveyed said they lacked resources to connect meaningfully with employees, or to adjust approaches for different age groups.
This absence of training comes despite significant investment in engagement initiatives across many businesses. The study suggests that employers are not providing the support managers need to deliver results.
The report also found that managers are frustrated by the difficulty of assessing whether engagement programmes are working. Almost a quarter said they struggled to measure or prove the return on investment from engagement initiatives, while another 24 percent admitted they did not consistently track outcomes.
Three in 10 said they wished they could measure productivity more accurately, focusing on actual output rather than the number of hours worked. Analysts say the lack of reliable data makes it harder to build a business case for long-term investment in engagement strategies.
Recognition and communication top the wish list
When asked what would make the biggest difference to workplace engagement, managers overwhelmingly pointed to recognition. More than eight in 10 said recognition and incentives would boost motivation, while 70 percent highlighted the importance of stronger social and team connections, and 60 percent called for clearer communication from senior leaders.
Recognition was also cited as the most significant missing element in their current “engagement toolkit”. Two-thirds of managers said they would feel more motivated if senior leaders gave open feedback. More opportunities to develop skills and better digital tools for connecting with teams were also rated highly.
Hanoa said “[r]ecognition, communication and training are the missing links that will decide who wins the engagement race”.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
