Workplace engagement is dominating the employment conversation in 2022. Employee engagement – or the connection that employees feel with their coworkers, leadership, company mission, and their role within the company – is being championed as crucial for companies’ success. In a report by Harvard Business Review, senior executives were polled regarding employee engagement. More than 550 of senior executives from that poll consider engaged employees as a “competitive advantage.”
Data tells us that companies who intentionally engage their employees are making more profit, experiencing less turnover, and enjoying more applicants. But let’s check out some statistics on disengaged employees:
Companies with disengaged employees – that is, employees just checking off boxes rather than investing their energy and creativity into the job – have more accidents, more mistakes, and more physically absent employees. Studies have also found that productivity and profits fall when employees are not engaged.
Here is a startling statistic: employees who are not engaged or intentionally disengaged cost $7.8 trillion globally in lost productivity, as found in Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report.
And this 2022 Gallup study found that 17% of U.S. employees are actively disengaged, which is up one percentage point from 2021.
Disengagement is not a neutral state of being in the workplace; it is a true problem for both employees and companies. Here are three tips for fighting disengagement!
Ensure employees are utilizing their talents and strengths. If employees feel that their strengths aren’t valued, or if they’re forced to constantly operate within their weaker talents, they are more likely to disengage.
Give employees a voice. Employees who know their input is appreciated are more likely to stay engaged. Disengagement occurs when employees are not given an outlet for their creativity, opinions, and feedback.
Make the mission clear. If employees don’t know what they’re working towards or why their role matters, they are unlikely to engage with their work and their team. But, if the mission of the company is clear and compelling, employees are more inclined to feel that their work is meaningful.
We Optimize Work helps companies solve their biggest challenges in employee engagement in order to avoid multi-million dollar losses in productivity and turnover cost. We A.I.M. to help our clients by raising Awareness through keynote speaking, Implementing our approach through strategic facilitation, and gaining Momentum by serving as a trusted advisor. Connect with us today so we can help you optimize your employee engagement! Email Domonique at dtownsend@weoptimizework.com.