UN-ENGAGED EMPLOYEE – STRANGER, FRIEND OR FOE?

Let’s not get un-engaged employees confused with disengaged employees, it’s easily done – ‘Disengaged’ employees are like old friends: they used to like spending time with you, they understood your values and goals and how they could help, they felt inspired and would actively get involved. 

This relationship has history, things run a little deeper and a solution of re-engagement is probably needed.  An ‘un-engaged’ employee on the other hand is like a stranger, you’ve not got their full attention because they’ve never been that interested in you! 

Un-engaged employees have made no emotional commitment, they aren’t connected with or invested in your success and will do the bare minimum to help you out. It takes something pretty special to kickstart this relationship and get it on the right track - but it is possible.

SO WHY DON’T THESE GUYS WANT TO ENGAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE?

It may seem obvious - first and foremost, employees need to understand their role in it all. Not just their job role but the big picture stuff, their role in the company goals, culture and values. 

What you stand for, what you’re trying to achieve together and how they can add value needs to be crystal clear – or they just won’t get it! 

Not understanding the playing field and rules of engagement puts anyone on the back foot!  It’s clear from the oodles of articles you can read on the subject of un-engagement (or disengagement for that matter) that poor communication, unclear direction and uninspiring leadership all have their part to play. 

That all sounds tricky, right? Well, it is! However, all is not lost for the un-engaged.  Yes, they can be a huge threat to the success of your organisation but given a little (or massive) bit of TLC there’s good chance they can be transformed into one of your greatest assets.

TIME TO GIVE YOUR ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY SOME TLC?

So how do we engage with employees, especially the un-engaged? Check in with them, put talking, learning and communicating (TLC) at the heart of your rewards and engagement strategy. Not to make light of a serious subject or suggest it’s going to be easy, it’s not, nothing worthwhile ever is! 

Employee engagement is a big deal, it requires cultural change, you have to be up for it and in it for the long haul. Recognising negative behaviours of un-engagement and its’ impact on your organisation is the first of many steps in the right direction and it’s a good place to start.

The beginning is indeed a good place to start – Makes sense, right? 

Remember, the right employees in the right roles!?  Get it right from day 1 with your new recruits, help them to form a clear picture of you, hopefully make positive connections and start forming bonds with peers, managers and leaders.  Induction and training programmes are both great ways to ensure the vision for both of you is crystal clear from the get go.

RECOGNISE AND REWARD THE GOOD STUFF

Employee recognition and workplace rewards are key factors and differentiators too, they help attract and retain staff.   

By recognising and rewarding hard work and success you build a culture of mutual respect across your organisation.  When recruiting and retaining employees it’s becoming more important than ever to get your recognition strategy right. 

The way you approach this tells existing and future employees a lot about who you are and what you stand for, it tells your story as well as your goals and brand values. This is not to suggest a recognition and reward scheme is a magic cure all for engagement, it will help significantly but there’s a lot of other factors you’ll need to consider if you really want to make positive change to your employee engagement levels.

KEEP AN OPEN LINE TO YOUR PEOPLE

Communication is the foundation for engagement, so check in regularly and communicate continuously to your people.  The more your employees understand your challenges, goals and values the better prepared they are for success – they get it!  Regular feedback gets richer results, authenticity inspires and taking the time to talk helps people feel valued.  

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?

Would you like to find out more about how we can work with to help improve your employee engagement?

We’d love to see you achieve your goals, so don’t be shy, get in touch for a no-obligation chat and let’s start shaping up a more engaging and rewarding future for your business and employees.