Employee engagement is often mistaken for the financial perks, holidays, work parties & seasonal gifts… in fact it is more simple than you may think… The current employee engagement rate has fallen from 38% in 2021, to 34%. As 1 in 5 brits are expected to change jobs this year, now is a pivotal time to consider how you can keep your employees engaged.
Disengagement often occurs when employees feel they are working hard, and gaining little in return. It can also mean there are unaddressed issues within the workplace, having a negative impact on company culture & employee emotional commitment.
With that said, not every disengaged employee is a ‘bad’ employee. Before making the assumption they’ve become lazy & difficult, the senior management team should analyse how they can better support the employee in a more effective way. It’s important you, as the employer, recognise your employees achievements & appreciate them. This is essential in keeping your employee engaged.
What does a disengaged employee look like?
- Lack of participation in group meetings
- Decreased productivity
- A change in attitude/mindset
- Cynical approach to work
So, how can employers re-engage employees & increase retention?
Communication Style
- We’re all different for a reason, each employee will have a unique communication style that works for them. Taking time to understand this could help to improve the company dynamic.
Realign Goals
- Employees will disconnect with the business if there is a loss of direction or purpose. Goal setting from both the employee & manager is important in reestablishing what you/they want to achieve at work & in their personal life. Ideally in a structured manner i.e. career development, business objectives, short/long term deadlines, saving for a house, going abroad…
Involving Employees In The Business Growth Journey
- Getting your staff involved in the planning stage of business growth, encourages early stage buy-in. It gives employees a sense of ownership & responsibility within the business that extends beyond their job role. Essentially this can increase how valuable employee’s feel within the business e.g. sharing of ideas & encouraging groupthink.
Consider flexibility
- The 9-5 working day originated in the 1800’s… aside from the fact that times have changed, humans aren’t machines, one size does not fit all. During the pandemic & acceleration of home working, larger players including Apple, Amazon & Google recorded breaking profits; a hard measure of the effectiveness of remote working. A recent study showed millennials & Gen Z’s would choose flexible working over healthcare benefits. It should also be noted that flexibility doesn’t always mean working hours, it can mean work attire, cross functional teams, flexible working space etc.
Create a positive/opportunistic work culture
- Often employees are disengaged if they are bored in their current job role! Work doesn’t have to be boring, find out what excites your employee’s & provide opportunities i.e. extracurricular activities, voucher competitions.
We hope this has been helpful but sometimes you just have to let people move on to their next career challenge. Good planning and working with a partner like TalentHackers can help mitigate the impact of this through planned hiring.
We’d love to chat with you about your hiring plan, call the team on 0330 133 2097 or email enquiries@thetalenthackers.com .
