Employee Disengagement And How To Fix It

Articles and reports on employee engagement or disengagement tell you its importance. They highlight the cause of disengagement. But rarely will they give you the necessary fixes.

It is not only necessary to understand why employees become disengaged, but it is also equally important to know how to fix it. Sometimes there are no outside factors that cause employee disengagement, rather some internal factors that go unnoticed.

Here are some of the factors which cause employee disengagement and ways to fix them.

Employees Lack of Clarity Of Their Role

As surprising as this fact is, it is true. An employee who does not know how they fit into the grand scheme of things cannot be a productive part of an organization. When an employee has no clue about an organization’s objectives, values, and end goals and how they are a piece of the puzzle, their motivation to work is considerably low. They do not know if their work will be valued or even if they are on the right track.

How do you fix this? It’s simple. Delineate roles and responsibilities right from the start. Layout the goals you would like your employees to have. Collaborate with them on figuring out what role they play in the organization. And most important of all – know that every employee is vital to an organization. The moment you start weighing employees against each other, that is when you begin to lose them.

Also Read: The Ultimate Checklist For Performance Appraisals!

There’s No Flexibility

For employees, there is no bigger setback than not being allowed to freely express themselves or having to deal with inflexible people. And even worse, when employees cannot align themselves with the organization’s values, they immediately feel alienated.

How do you fix this? An organization might already have a set of pre-existing values that it holds dear. But the crucial thing to remember is that values can change. Your core values can stay the same. But your other values will naturally change as time passes. Holding onto rigid ideas of expression and work habits can not only make many employees uneasy, but it can also quickly make them disengage.

Dearth Of Appreciation

Appreciation is vital to employees. Nobody is an automaton. And rare is the employee who can carry on without a word of praise or motivation. When employees feel like they aren’t getting the appreciation they deserve or even the motivation to attempt something, disengaging becomes as easy as disconnecting a wire.

How do you fix this? Employees do not have to be praised fulsomely or excessively. They do not even need extravagant rewards. It can be something as simple ( but sincere and heartfelt) as “ I like the progress you are making. Keep it up!” and it will lift their spirits like no other.

Also Read: Employee Recognition And Rewards During COVID-19

There Is A Gap In Communication

When communication is fraught with difficulties and roadblocks, and there is a lack of feedback, it creates a communication gap. And not knowing is just as bad as not doing anything. A lack of communication can effectively kill any productivity that may have been there and put off employees who will then feel disengaged from the organization.

How do you fix this? Nobody can read minds, not employees, and surely not managers. Communication is one key aspect of engagement, and you need to make it a habit. It is not only vital for yourself but also for your employees. When you define clear communication channels, communication happens smoothly, and engagement levels are high. It is because everyone knows what is going on, right from the senior management to the new hire.
When agendas are clear, feedback is encouraged, and communication appreciated, things are hum.

No Scope Of Professional Development

Career growth is important for all. When an employee’s work becomes stagnant, and there is no scope of development, they disengage. Not only this, it impacts their team and others around them.

How do you fix this? When an organization provides an employee with opportunities to grow and increase their experience, what they are doing is building assets. Investing time, money, and effort on an employee will not want to make them take a flying leap into the arms of another organization – should they get an opportunity to do so. Rather – allowing an employee to grow breeds loyalty and affection. They will stay with you through the good times and the bad, simply because you helped them grow as an employee or individual.

Do you want to know how Engagedly can help you with Employee Engagement? Then request for a live demo.

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