Employee engagement is a hot topic in HR, and for good reason. Studies show that engaged employees are more productive, happier with their jobs and more loyal to their companies, which leads to better service and sales. That being said, company leaders must be aware of any reason employees may be disengaged. Make it a priority to stamp out these 7 reasons employees are disengaged in your company.
They don’t respect their colleagues or feel respected
A lack of respect damages relationships. It could be a lack of respect for coworkers, managers, or for employees in general. This can happen when an employee doesn’t see the people they work with as competent. This issue needs to be addressed immediately with good communication in order to get to the root of the problem. For example, if employees don’t respect their manager, they won’t listen to instructions and will end up making mistakes or wasting company time. To remedy this, first find out why they don’t respect their manager and work from there.
They don’t understand your mission, vision and values
When employees are given orders to follow mindlessly, it creates mistrust. Encourage employee engagement by helping them see the overarching goals of the company, and how their jobs and responsibilities contribute to bringing those goals to fruition.
They aren’t appreciated
Employees who feel unappreciated are more likely to do the bare minimum at work just to get by. They may feel that no one notices their efforts, or that their job doesn’t really matter. Remedy this issue by using praise and encouragement when an employee does something right. This not only teaches employees the employee and his or her colleagues the high standards you are looking for from them, but that you notice when they do something well.
Read more about the power of positivity for employee engagement.
They don’t get along with their peers
Good workplace relationships can make a job more enjoyable, more collaborative and more fun. On the other hand, if your employees don’t get along well with each other they may focus on their negative feelings towards coworkers rather than concentrate on doing their jobs. Bad coworker relationships cause low employee engagement simply because the office will become a place they don’t want to be. If an employee associates a job with a group of people he or she doesn’t like being around, then the job itself will eventually become associated with an undesirable culture.
They lack work/life balance
Do your employees often have to work overtime, or stay at the office late? Do they end up missing family gatherings, important moments in their child’s lives, or parties with their friends? Requiring too much of a commitment at the office could cause employee disengagement because they see that the company doesn’t value their personal lives. Fix this source of disengagement by respecting your employees’ time and personal obligations. For example, don’t make an employee stay late at work after a busy day in order to finish up menial tasks that can be done later.
They don’t feel their potential is being fully utilized
When employees feel that they’re “stuck” in a dead-end job with no growth, development, or room for advancement, they are more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs. Tap into their skills and use employee training and development in order to show the company’s investment in employees. Consider hiring for open positions from within the company, and allow current employees to apply for positions they like and feel is a step up. Finally,
They don’t match their position or the company
There was a mismatch in job fit that slipped by and now you may have an employee who isn’t necessarily a good candidate for the company or current position. It’s not likely that this is an engaged employee because he or she doesn’t have the skills, personality and behaviors needed to do the job well.
This is easily avoidable with the use of employee assessments in the recruitment process. Make job matching easy and efficient for both the company and job applicants. Utilizing assessments as part of your hiring process helps companies hire the right person the first time, instead of having to deal with unhappy employees who aren’t the best fit for their jobs.
About the Author: Jocelyn Pick
