Let’s face it; sometimes we all are disengaged employee. There are days when none of us feel like giving our whole effort. Our thoughts are on the weekend for a variety of reasons: we’re looking forward to a much-needed vacation, or it’s Friday afternoon and the weekend is just around the corner.
Disengagement on the part of employees is to be expected. However, it seems to be growing into an even bigger issue. It’s crucial at this point to differentiate between apathetic and disengaged employee due to their distinct personalities and motivations. Also for further information read our blog post!
What is a Disengaged Employee?
An employee who isn’t invested in his job at all sees it just as a source of financial support. Despite being able to and willing to do the task at hand, this is often the very best that can be expected of them.
A disengaged employee, on the other hand, may once have been inspired to go the extra mile but now lacks the energy to do so. He seems indifferent or uninterested in his current position and the company’s objectives. He/she has more potential than the average employee, but his most vital fire has to be rekindled before he can take the job all the way to the end.
What causes a disengaged employee and how can you get them back on track?
Not Taking Charge of His/Her Own Life
A lack of initiative is a clear indicator of a disengaged employee. Those in management may have seen that a once-motivated worker is now performing just the bare minimum, or what is not explicitly forbidden. As a result, they may no longer provide suggestions or let him know when they have free time. There’s a chance he’ll start searching for other jobs shortly. We all have our moments when we wish we could relax our usual standards a little. The “Friday afternoon” mindset is normal, but if it’s becoming more pervasive, it might be a sign of deeper problems at work.
Expected or Unexpected Changes
If an employee’s interest in their work has waned, checking their records in the human resources management system is a good starting step. This may provide light on whether a change in management, personnel, or procedure may have contributed to a decrease in dedication. If the numbers don’t reveal anything, suggest that the employee’s provincial executive have a conversation with him. This may be done in person or through video chat. It’s a chance for the manager to check in with the worker and see if anything is upsetting them, either at work or in their personal lives. Rekindling that necessary excitement may be as simple as having a conversation about the obstacles in the way or the best method to succeed in your current position.
Lack of Recognition
It’s possible that before he became disinterested, your worker was a valuable member of the team, always willing to provide a hand to his coworkers and eager to take on more responsibility and expand his skillset. But if they are merely executing “their position” and not volunteering for additional initiatives or tasks, that is a typical symptom of disengagement and warrants investigation. If workers are losing their enthusiasm, you may want to investigate whether the culture of your organization is to blame. Perhaps it’s the case that forgetting someone’s name contributes to their disinterest.
When managers are overwhelmed, they may overlook the formal mechanism in place to recognize employees for their efforts. Even the smallest gestures of gratitude to workers may go a long way in realizing their value to the firm and encouraging management to keep them happy and productive. Recognizing employees often should be the standard, not the exception, and HR departments should work hard to make that happen.
Absenteeism
An increase in absenteeism is a blatant indicator of a disinterested worker. However, it’s likely digital and unpredictable if workers work remotely and supervisors aren’t a member of their team absent from meetings, and they’re seldom online with their preferred communication platforms or not communicating.
Evidence from personal experience or statistics showing a pattern of absence should prompt action. This requires you to assume responsibility for the employee’s unexpected workload. It’s important to hear them out, however, in case there’s anything more serious going on in their lives. This might be an issue with their medical or mental health, or it could be something else.
You can better assist the employee in dealing with absenteeism after the employee has a clearer idea of what may be causing it. If an employee is struggling with their mental or physical health, your company may be able to give further help by facilitating an open dialogue between the management and the employee regarding the person’s position and work expectations.
Isolation & Carelessnes
Many of us have adapted to working alone or seldom interacting with our coworkers. However, disengagement may be present if workers who were formerly outgoing and gregarious (both online and in person) suddenly become more reserved or much less engaging with the rest of their team.
Finally, disengaged employee may have previously provided consistently high-quality work, but their performance is now below par. Perhaps they have become too careless, skipping deadlines, and failing to accomplish important objectives.
What to Do?
Simply asking a coworker why they’re withdrawing might be awkward. We can’t ignore the truth that some individuals need a break from their careers.
On the other hand, if a complaint has been lodged against a particular employee, human resources should make the first move in scheduling a meeting with that person. The employee’s withdrawal from their position and the team may be indicative of a serious underlying issue, such as bullying, that you may not feel comfortable raising with their supervisor.
From a higher level, it is crucial to routinely get employee opinions on the culture of your business. A more accurate image of the corporate culture and any problems (such as poor work practises, management, or lack of job satisfaction) that may be causing people to withdraw from their responsibilities may be gleaned in this manner.
The HR department should push for more formal performance reviews and more frequent team meetings. These situations are perfect for managers to ask disengaged employees what may influence their careers and what might bring them back on track if they were, to be honest.
Thus, managers and team leaders may not only work together to design a strategy to address the core problem but also set objectives that are both attainable and realistic, giving the employee something to aim toward that is both measurable and inspiring.
How Empactivo Can Help A Disengaged Employee?
Empactivo is a communication platform that helps everybody in the company to be in a more open communicative environment. It contributes to minimizing the disengaged employee situation by supporting and deepening the daily relationships that everyone establishes with each other. It does this with instant surveys, appreciation & thank you cards, and a point system that can be spent in the gift catalog and made physical.