After the 2020 pandemic, a few trends began to appear that resulted in labor shortages. Quiet quitting, the Great Resignation, or Bare Minimum Mondays stemmed mainly from a toxic corporate culture, job insecurity, and lack of recognition. Besides, many people experienced burnout working from home and needed a change, and there were those who refused to go back to the office.
As a result, engagement and productivity suffered across the board. Current figures show that, although these trends are slowly receding, only 35% of American employees are engaged at work. In the UK, disengaged employees cost around £340 billion per year in lost productivity and other costs. Managers need to find ways to rekindle employee engagement if they want their business to stay competitive. Let’s see how.
What Does a Disengaged Employee Look Like?
First, the trends mentioned earlier, like Quiet Quitting, are a sign that an employee is disengaged. However, there are other signs to look out for, like lack of effort and enthusiasm, negative attitude towards work, or poor relationships with the other team members. Other telltale signs include mood swings, bad habits like cutting corners, and declining work quality and quantity.
So, How Do We Tackle This Problem?
The worst thing you can do is to address this problem with hostility. Since disengagement has emotional roots, you need to be tactful when acknowledging it. Think of this as an opportunity for growth for your employees and for you as a manager.
Research has shown that employees who find meaning in their work are more productive, feel happier, and stay at the same company for longer. You can achieve this by letting your employees know why they matter and how their work impacts the company and their coworkers. Additionally, make sure your employees feel valued and that they have a sense of belonging.
The lack of opportunities for learning and career growth also demotivates employees. Give them opportunities to improve their skills and expand their knowledge in the form of external courses or internal mentorship programs. English Services can help your team improve their communication in another language with our courses and workshops. Our project-based methodology allows students to learn a language and hone their soft skills as well. As a result, not only will they communicate better, but they will also feel motivated to stay working for you and increase their productivity.
As a manager, you need to show appreciation and recognition if you want to retain talent. In addition, provide meaningful feedback and have frequent performance development conversations. Don’t forget to actively listen to their feedback as well. They will feel respected and heard.
But, at the end of the day, you can’t do much if the employee doesn’t take responsibility and ownership of their career within the organization. As international keynote speaker and author Cy Wakeman says in this video, “You can only work with the willing”. If, after you’ve pursued different avenues, the employee still refuses to engage, then it’s time to draw the line.
*************************
The inquisitive and proactive team at English Services helps our clients improve their communication skills with the right tools and methods. Our double-impact program consists of project-based lessons based on a specific topic, like conflict resolution. At the end of each project, our students will have learned the vocabulary and grammar related to that topic, as well as specific soft skills. Get in touch with us today to find out more about our online and hybrid language courses for companies.
