The term “employee engagement” — referring to the level of involvement and enthusiasm employees show toward their work — has become a common phrase in the business world. However, when we look at the current state of employee engagement among Japanese companies, the numbers are startling. According to Gallup’s 2025 survey (see reference materials), Japan’s employee engagement rate stands at only 7%. In other words, this data indicates that more than 9 out of 10 employees are “not enthusiastic about their work”, placing Japan among the lowest levels in the world. In reality, this suggests that many employees have lost sight of the answers to fundamental questions — not only due to factors like job content, evaluation systems, or relationships with supervisors, but also because they no longer understand “what value their work creates” or “why they are working in the first place.” So, what exactly is causing this decline in employee engagement? Let’s unravel this issue from the perspective of a vision maker.