SAN FRANCISCO--Only 21 percent of workers worldwide are "engaged"--that's the word used to describe workers who are ready to expend some extra effort at work--while 38 percent are disengaged, according to a new survey. "Engagement is not satisfaction or happiness, but the degree to which workers connect to the company emotionally, and the degree to which workers are aware of what they need to do to add value and are willing to take that action," said Julie Gebauer, a managing director of Towers Perrin, a consulting firm, which surveyed almost 90,000 workers in 19 countries. "Happy employees don't necessarily create better financial results, but there is a definite link between engagement and a company's financial performance," Gebauer said. The survey found 21 percent of workers worldwide are engaged, and another 41 percent are "enrolled", which means they're on the road to engagement. More than 80 percent of the engaged employees say they contribute to the quality of company products, services and customer satisfaction, while only 40 percent of disengaged workers agree. Engagement helps retention  too. About 50 percent of engaged employees say they have no plans to leave their company versus 15 percent of the disengaged. "The fact that almost 80 percent of workers are disengaged is likely costing companies money." Gebauer said. "The conception of engagement is really a financial issue," said Gebauer. 'Organizations that have employees that are highly engaged deliver better financial results than those that don't." In a separate study, Towers Perrin assessed data on 40 global companies over a three-year period, measuring employee engagement at a certain point and then looking at the companies' financial results over the following three years. Companies with highly motivated workers enjoyed a 3.7 percent increase in profits, while companies with a lower level of worker commitment saw a decrease in profits slightly. What makes for an engaged employee? It's not necessarily pay. While the level of pay is important, it's not among the top 10 drivers of engagement. Rather than only using the pay, companies should survey their work force, much as they might study their customers, to assess what employees are seeking. According to the text, among 500 disengaged employees, how many would probably have the intention of leaving their company?
50. 75. 250. 425.