If your engagement surveys haven’t told you, your organizational performance probably has. Manager engagement has fallen. In fact, the data show that your managers are in crisis.

Overall global employee engagement may be down three percentage points since 2022, but the manager engagement numbers are even more concerning. Global manager engagement, which was 31% in 2022, fell to 22% in 2025. That’s nine percentage points in four years. Manager engagement has never dropped so much so fast.

Declining manager engagement is the primary driver of the broader downturn in employee engagement, which cost the world economy an estimated $10 trillion in lost productivity last year. The steep downward trajectory of manager engagement also bodes ill for many other crucial organizational outcomes: the well-being of employees, team effectiveness, and leadership pipelines.

When a team member shows problematic behavior, the team leader’s job is to address expectations. But a leader who is afraid of seeming harsh or hostile may avoid that important conversation altogether—even at the cost of team performance. This reluctance to act stems from the fine line between dependability and people-pleasing at work.

Some leaders are more concerned with appearing loyal to executives than earning their team’s trust. It can make them seem ingratiating toward authority and unwilling to protect their employees. At Hogan, we describe this type of behavior as Dutiful.

You know this plan won’t work, but everyone else approves so you keep quiet. Or you have the same meeting over and over again, but nothing ever gets resolved. Or you think your boss is dismissive, but you’re afraid to say so. Or you don’t speak up because nothing will change. These aren’t isolated frustrations. They’re symptoms of broken team communication. They can signal avoidance of difficult conversations and even significant team dysfunction.

Gustavo Razzetti, CEO and founder of Fearless Culture and author of Forward Talk: The Bold New Method for Getting Teams Unstuck, discusses why teams get stuck and what it takes to get them moving again.

“If you want to change your culture, you need to start by changing your conversations,” Gustavo said.

What does artificial intelligence want to know about personality psychology? It’s not electric sheep. We asked ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, to design interview questions about personality psychology for a special AI-driven episode of The Science of Personality. As it so happens, ChatGPT seemed to have an interest in actionable, practical insights.

Ryne Sherman, PhD, Blake Loepp and personality psychology experts answered questions posed by ChatGPT about personality psychology, leadership, and team dynamics.

The conversation ranges from how stable personality is over time to what role personality psychology should play in the development of AI agents.

Nobody else has your personality. Unique individuality is the concept that no one ever has been, is, or will be precisely like you. It’s also what differentiates human intelligence from artificial intelligence. But uniqueness is more than a feel-good concept. When we measure individuality with personality assessments, we can predict performance, empower behavioral change, and better understand ourselves and each other.

Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp spoke with Nigel Nicholson, PhD, emeritus professor of organizational behavior at London Business School, about the theories behind his newest book, Unique You. Nigel said, “In psychology, individuals are mostly regarded as a nuisance, a disturbance, error variants. Whereas for me, everybody’s an exception. That’s the only approach that makes sense.”

The only certainty about 2026 is uncertainty. AI deployment is accelerating, skills demands are evolving, and the workforce is anxious. These forces make effective leadership more essential than ever—and personality assessment especially critical for organizations facing bewildering transition.

Understanding these talent challenges is necessary for organizations looking to maximize the strategic value of personality assessment this year. Organizational effectiveness will rely on making objective decisions about people based on accurate, reliable, and scientifically validated personality assessment data. In 2026, we are committed to using our gold-standard assessments to help people and teams achieve the extraordinary—especially amid rapid global change.

Workplace gossip has a reputation problem. Most view gossip at work as disruptive, unproductive, or even toxic to company culture. But informal communication through social networks may serve an important organizational purpose. Leaders need to understand that workplace gossip can be beneficial or harmful, depending on how it’s used and managed.

Hogan estimates that about 10 percent of the working population consists of bad employees. Of those, the office freeloader is one of the most notorious and subtle. While it may be difficult to spot a workplace freeloader, employee engagement metrics and skilled management can identify those who underperform.

Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp chatted about the ins and outs of freeloading. They covered the definition of a freeloader, the personality profile of someone likely to freeload, and ways to address this unique type of ineffective employee.

The world of personality psychology is familiar with the perennially hot topic of personality change. A recent article theorizes a decline in conscientiousness, particularly among young adults. It also shows a decrease in agreeableness, extraversion, and emotional stability. So, can personality change? If so, is it changing right now?

On the new episode of The Science of Personality, cohosts Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp discussed “The Troubling Decline in Conscientiousness” by John Burn-Murdoch, published in the Financial Times.

People use social media platforms to shine a light on current workplace trends. Short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube, and People use social media platforms discuss and learn about current workplace trends. Short-form videos on TikTok and other platforms all provide commentary about acting your wage, quiet quitting, and task masking. How do these behaviors relate to personality strengths, challenges, and values?