Low employee engagement could become a costly problem. It’s important to recognize the signs early and start to counteract them.
As a leader, have you noticed an employee who just doesn’t seem as excited about their work as they once were? Maybe you’re noticing they’re just going through the motions and doing the bare minimum to take home a paycheck.
These are telltale signs of low employee engagement.
So, what do you do? Do you go into panic mode when you see these signs? Maybe you go into self-diagnosis mode and asking yourself even more questions, like “Is the problem the work or the environment? Do we have time to fix things before good employees start quitting?”
If this sounds familiar, rest assured, it’s not a unique situation. Right now, this is starting to happen everywhere.
The fast-paced changes facing companies creates uncertainty. It leaves leaders wondering if their employees are still on board with the company’s strategy, and if they see and understand their role in the change. Are they energized by the day-to-day activities of their jobs? Infrequently collecting engagement scores isn’t enough to tell. Leaders must look deeper and do it more often.
In an increasingly virtual world, leaders miss out on some of the easier to catch signs of a disengaged worker. Aside from a Zoom glitch, leaders are unlikely to catch an employee expressing frustration in an overheard conversation. It’s also harder to read body language and interpret nonverbal cues in a virtual meeting.
The concept of work-life balance and work-life integration also makes it tricky for leaders to differentiate a disengaged employee from an employee experiencing burnout or distraction. Did a previously vocal employee become quiet in meetings because of disengagement? Or, does are they simply on mute to minimize background noise?
The stakes of ignoring the signs of low employee engagement are staggering. Gallup estimates that about 13% of employees are actively disengaged in their roles, while a mere 36% are engaged. And the remaining 51%? They’re simply not engaged, meaning they don’t feel attached to their work or company.
That hurts both morale and the bottom line. But how much does a disengaged employee cost a company? Looking at an entire workforce, that cost is huge. But what can be done about it?
Warning Signs of Decreased Employee Engagement
What are signs of low employee engagement? On their own, none of these are sure signs of disengagement. However, the more of these signs of low employee engagement that are present, the more likely an employee is no longer engaged.
1. Their job performance will suffer.
One of the first signs of a disengaged employee is a change in job performance. And this can show itself in a variety of ways. Someone who typically has very high work standards begin to miss deadlines or make careless mistakes. A team’s most productive worker may fall to the middle of the pack.
A disengaged employee, they will be less receptive to feedback about their performance. Worse, they may show little motivation to get better. They will often rationalize their poor performance (for example, by attributing it to factors outside of their control).
2. They will be the most resistant to change.
Whether it’s getting behind a new company initiative or following a new process, disengaged employees are slowest to adapt. They will glamorize the status quo or past ways of working. They will also frequently and loudly voice opposition to change. Their tendency will be to focus on the disruptive parts of the change while ignoring potential benefits.
The reasons for this are twofold. First, an engaged worker tends to be more committed to and energized by the company and its vision. Second, as we all know, change takes effort. Disengaged employees often lack the motivation and energy to push through challenges associated with change.
3. They avoid activities that show an investment in the company.
An engaged employee is willing to contribute beyond the minimum tasks required by their job. They will often volunteer for activities that contribute to the team or corporate culture. They are the ones to sign up for a task force or volunteer to train a new employee. Engaged employees do these things because they are committed to the company, and they see the value of helping improve the workplace.
One of the signs of low employee engagement is withdrawing from these kinds of activities and focusing on doing just enough to get by. This can also be an indication that an employee has one foot out the door. After all, why would someone volunteer to help the team or company if they don’t plan to stay?
4. They approach problems differently.
One characteristic shared by both a highly engaged and actively disengaged employee is that they’re willing to discuss problems in the work environment. The signs of low employee engagement can be found in how they do this.
Engaged employees present problems seeking solutions. They may have their own ideas for a fix, or they may be looking to others with decision-making authority to improve the situation. In fact, having an environment where there is psychological safety to speak up and share concerns is one that will foster higher engagement levels.
Disengaged employees, on the other hand, will focus on the problem itself, without any aim toward solutions. Their focus will be on venting and commiserating. And colleagues who propose ideas for solving problems will often be met with dismissiveness or criticism.
Bottom-Line Impacts of Poor Employee Engagement
Employee engagement ultimately impacts a company’s bottom line. According to Gallup research, there’s a significant relationship between employee engagement and key measures of organizational success. Teams that are highly engaged see a 10% increase in customer ratings and perform 20% better in achieving sales results. Additionally, the behaviors of highly engaged teams result in 21% greater profitability.
When looked at in aggregate, the impact of low employee engagement is enormous. One study estimates that disengaged employees cost companies around half a trillion dollars per year! These sobering statistics send a clear message.
Employee engagement isn’t just “an HR thing” that we do a survey about every couple of years. If not actively attended to, low employee engagement limits a company’s ability to reach its potential, execute its strategy, and achieve results.
So, with the stakes being this high, it’s important to consider the sources of employee disengagement.
How can low employee engagement affect other team members and the business? What are disengaged employees missing? And how can leaders counteract low employee engagement? Find out by reading “Signs of Low Employee Engagement.”
Mark Smedley is a client relationship manager for DDI. He works with healthcare organizations to design and implement their leadership strategies.
