Employee engagement is crucial for any organization to retain qualified and high-performing resources as they are very valuable for the growth of a company. Employees that are engaged will be motivated and successful in achieving the business goals of an organization resulting in 23% higher profit. On the other hand, a disengaged employee is a liability to any organization as they fail to contribute in their highest capacity.
It is not unusual for employers to notice disengagement in employees in the past few months due to the onset of the COVID19 pandemic and the remote working policy. Working in isolation is a valid reason for employees feeling disconnected but if it is not taken care of, it can be disastrous for the company in the long run.
Following are the tell-tale signs of a disengaged employee:
Taking leaves very often:
Excessive absenteeism is one of the most obvious signs of a disengaged employee. If an employee is trying to avoid work, it means they are not concerned about fulfilling the company goals. In other cases, an employee feels that the job is not as per their liking which pushes them to miss work, eventually leading to disengagement.
Drop in the quality of work:
Sometimes a disengaged employee may be meeting the deadlines but not delivering what exactly is expected of them. This is because they have a casual attitude towards their work and are not concerned about producing high standard work. If you notice that a diligent employee is no longer being as productive as they used to be, it is obvious that they are no longer engaged in their work.
Unable to meet deadlines:
A reliable employee is driven and motivated to meet deadlines. A sincere and hard-working employee missing deadlines is a big sign of disengagement. They may be blaming someone else for not being able to provide them some necessary information on time, or claiming that the workload was too much for a given time frame.
Reduced communication:
Lack of communication is a clear sign of an employee being disengaged and uninterested. They stop contributing to a work discussion, refrain from asking questions, no longer show interest in any new idea or show support for a team member who has achieved something. When this continues for long, it can degrade the entire team performance.
Constantly distracted:
Actively disengaged employees are often seen spending excessive time using their phones to text or call, and checking social media frequently. They also indulge in breaks very often to step away from their workstation. Although taking breaks is healthy and helps employees relax, taking longer than usual breaks is not a healthy sign.
Proven ways to re-energize and motivate disengaged employees:
- Encouraging communication with a disengaged employee helps in understanding what exactly is the root cause of their changed behaviour. You can conduct a one-on-one meeting which gives the employee a platform to discuss and contribute their ideas. This makes them feel more inclusive in the company environment which in turn increases engagement levels.
- Training employees to help them acquire new skills is another great way to re-energize disengaged employees. A LMS is a powerful cloud-based tool to provide eLearning courses to your employees, regardless of their work location. Going through the customer reviews before selecting an LMS makes the process easier. For instance, Thinkific reviews show that it is very user-friendly and even comes with a free trial.
Conclusion:
Your employees are your biggest asset and it can be difficult to see them not contributing earnestly to their work. Involving them regularly in team activities helps in building a more collaborative work environment and plays a significant role in engaging employees.
