Many employees report being disengaged. These tips can help you turn things around.
Managing people is difficult. Managing disengaged people can seem impossible. A disengaged employee can come in many forms. It may be someone who does not fit the company culture, someone who does not perform well, or someone who has a tendency to challenge authority. This can have a range of effects on their co-workers and the business. They can negatively impact morale by creating a toxic environment or even become a drag on a company’s bottom line. Another situation where this kind of employee may put the employer in a precarious spot is during an organizing drive. Often these employees are the loudest voices in opposition to the company during a campaign. It may not even be that they are true supporters of wanting union representation, but they are simply “anti-company”. They may be disgruntled because they don’t “fit in” or have failed to thrive due to poor performance and have taken it personally. An organizing effort is a perfect avenue for these employees to exact their revenge on the company.
Before attributing the blame solely on these employees for the fallout that inevitably comes with having disaffected workers, consider this. There are plenty of instances where employers have not properly engaged their teams. A 2022 Gallup poll found that only 32% of full- and part-time employees are engaged at work, while 17% are actively disengaged. These abysmal numbers should warn employers that they need to drastically improve their efforts to engage workers. Something else that contributes to discouraged team members is burnout, a fact that some companies may be unaware of or flat-out ignore due to working in a demanding industry. Employee burnout can have severe impacts on morale, job satisfaction, and retention. A global survey conducted by the Future Forum in 2022 found that 42% of employees say they are burned out at work.
So what are managers to do with a significant population of dejected and unsatisfied workers? Below are some helpful tips on how to help improve the situation.
Keep Calm, and Manage On
First and foremost, a manager needs to be level-headed and tranquil when dealing with unsatisfied workers. Responding with hostility will only add fuel to the fire of discontent. Additionally, managers need to avoid the typical knee-jerk reaction to deflect any criticism and blame employees. Approach the situation with humility and an open mind. Some managers may even point to company policy and say “that’s just the way it is”. Unfortunately, this is more common than not, and the next phrase that is typically given is the last thing an employee wants to hear; “If you don’t like it, then there’s the door”. This attitude is the quickest way to dishearten your team and, in my own experience, a union petition may not be far behind. Managers have to empathize with what the employee is going through. Even if the reality from management’s perspective is different from what an employee expresses, leaders have to understand that the employee's perception of the situation is their reality.
Listen, listen, listen, and listen a bit more.
A disengaged worker may feel that they are not being heard and many employees want to voice their concerns but typically don’t. Perhaps they feel they don’t have the appropriate channels, or they have voiced their concerns in the past, and nothing happened so they just quit trying. Regardless of the reason, managers must be aggressive in their efforts to get feedback. Organic opportunities for conversation abound in the workplace and managers should actively seek them out. A manager should be out greeting employees in the morning and at the “water cooler” so to speak to take advantage of the informal communication that can take place. Time on the floor engaging and getting to know employees should be prioritized over time sitting in the office. When a manager knows what’s happening on the floor and genuinely knows their employees as more than just a subordinate, workers will view this manager as a conduit of communication.
Conduct proper pulsing.
It’s not realistic to expect managers to know what every team member is thinking and what they are going through at all times. Even if managers and HR representatives dedicated the majority of their time just engaging employees, there would still be loads of information out there that they will not be able to capture. This is where the practice of employee pulsing plays an integral role. Employee pulsing is a process that allows companies, on a large scale, to continuously gain an understanding of employees’ views on their work experience and to help identify problems in real-time. This is typically done via surveys, digital or analog, conducted on a regular basis. Ideally, the information is analyzed and then action plans are put in place. A word of caution, however. There are numerous comprehensive tools in the marketplace that help employers implement pulsing. They are often easy to use and very convenient, and therein lies the problem. They are used to substitute face-to-face interactions. So while management may think they are doing what’s necessary to engage their employees by sending out a digital survey every month, they will only be achieving partial credit in the effort to truly engage their teams. And although the technology available is impressive in its ability to aggregate and report data, there is no substitute for the expertise and human touch provided by an employee relations expert. Here at Team Optimal, we offer employee engagement services to give your team the ability to speak with a third party about what’s going on at work. The use of a third party can yield invaluable insights as employees feel comfortable opening up to our specialists who are adept at connecting with workers. Click here to find out how Team Optimal can help your organization with your employee relations needs. Annual or bi-annual third-party surveys coupled with regular pulsing give companies a barometer to measure worker satisfaction and, by extension, management performance. It is important to keep in mind, however, that listening only yields results if the next tip is executed properly.
Follow through.
Actively listening to your team is only half the battle. Even if a company makes the effort to truly hear out what employees have to say, it is all for nothing if it is not dovetailed with action. Not only is it important to take action on the feedback offered by employees, but it is also vital that the process of any action to address said feedback is properly communicated to the team. A popular method that can be found in companies today that has replaced the “suggestion box” is a communication board visible to everyone. On one side of the board are the issues or problems raised by employees. On the corresponding side of the board is a dated response from management along with who is assigned to handle the task. This board is frequently updated with developments until the item is resolved. This lets employees know that headway is being made while also holding management accountable. However, not all issues raised will have a resolution. In fact, some issues raised may be something that is part of the job’s nature and cannot be changed. In this event, managers cannot lean on the “it is what it is” response. Even if employees may not like the answer in response to what they don’t like about their job, it’s important that leadership provide them with a cogent explanation. This shows respect to the employees and closing the loop on the issue lets employees know their voices are being heard.
Set clear expectations and document everything.
Often times goals are not met by employees because they are unclear on what is actually expected of them. This may be due to poor training or a lack of transparency. To avoid this managers should ensure that all employees have a clear-cut understanding of what their role is. This includes expected behavior, work rules, and productivity guidelines. In regards to performance, indicators should be laid out, tied to timelines and checked for feasibility. In the event that the understood expectations are not met, document everything. This can include everything from meetings and incidents to formal discipline and performance issues. Thorough documentation is good practice that helps protect all parties involved.
Offer resources outside of work.
Sometimes an employee that is experiencing problems at work may be dealing with personal issues not related to the job. A manager should know their team well enough to recognize these signs. Try offering the employee some time off if they are overwhelmed, or set aside time to discuss additional resources like professional counseling. Many companies offer EAPs (employee assistance programs) that are rarely used and could offer much-needed help.
Creating an environment where workers are satisfied and can count on management to successfully meet their needs is no simple feat. Every person and situation comes with their own specific needs and nuances. And the above tips alone cannot be effective without patience, diligence, and the support of a forward-thinking organization. However, this holistic approach allows all involved to actively take part in shaping the workplace around them by enabling an engaged population and challenging leadership to take their role to new heights.
Written by Arthur Wentworth
Younger generation employees face a difficult reality and it's impacting how they view work!
Everyday you can skim headlines and find a plethora of articles discussing Millennials and Generation Z. They are tasked with staring down serious obstacles as they become full-fledged adults. Despite having the faculties and fortitude to take the challenges head on, they face significant headwinds. And those hurdles are impacting the way they view the workplace. As their expectations change, some employers have been caught flat footed. From high-turnover to union petitions, companies are dealing with significant fallout due to the inability to meet this group’s expectations at work. Employers are compelled to evolve as this disruptive force now dominates the employee pool.
It’s no surprise as to why Millennials and Gen Z employees have such an uphill battle entering adulthood. Crippling debt, exorbitant housing costs, a movie-like pandemic, social media pressures and record inflation to boot are just a few of the burdens young people have had to endure as of late. Having never seen a period of great expansion like previous generations, it appears that today’s youth has only known volatility and angst. And amidst this backdrop, troubling mental health trends have begun to emerge among the Gen Z population. According to a recent report released by Murmuration and the Walton Family Foundation, Gen Z is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 to battle depression and have feelings of hopelessness. They are three times as likely to say their challenges are so severe that they thought they might be better off dead and one-fifth know someone who committed suicide.
It’s incumbent on employers to reflect on what they have to offer younger workers compared to the realities they face. The way this cohort views the world and what they want out of work are inextricably linked.
A three percent annual raise, health insurance, two-weeks’ vacation, and a 401k no longer will suffice.
Younger generation employees are facing a dire economic situation and they will chase money where they can. Over the last few years, companies have been forced to raise wages significantly to compete. Employees are in the driver’s seat and are going where they feel they are being paid their value. Traditional benefit packages are not going to entice young workers. Health insurance is viewed as non-essential for many. They also look to achieve a healthy work-life balance and are looking for plenty of time off. Most are not interested in a 401k. The ‘08 crash and the wild market swings they’ve seen has made them think twice about this as a retirement vehicle. Furthermore, most will admit they don’t understand what it is or how it works.
An “open-door” policy and pizza parties will not yield the intended results.
These workers have a lot to say, but don’t expect them to come to you necessarily. HR professionals and managers are charged with engaging these workers unlike older generations.. They prefer multiple brief face to face visits at work and a coaching management style that requires mindfulness and empathy. When it comes to rewarding a job well done, pizza is out. Food and snacks, although appreciated, do not achieve the goal. The reality is they are a quick, cheap, and convenient way for management to “check the box” and everyone knows it. What these employees really want is positive affirmation, public recognition, and pay for performance.
Last minute and unpredictable scheduling are a non-starter.
Millennials and Gen Z highly value their free time and will unapologetically tell you that they don’t live to work. So, when it comes to scheduling, plenty of notice and maximum flexibility is desired. Some businesses struggle with this due to the nature of their industries. It’s those same industries that are having the most difficulty finding staff. Even if the pay is adequate, an inflexible schedule will have younger workers looking elsewhere.
Unilateral decision making and top-down management will only serve to alienate.
Starbucks workers cited this as a main driver as to why they wanted to unionize. Younger employees want to be part of the process when it comes to the issues that impact them at work. It’s a tall order for employers to tackle but bringing these employees into the fold when it comes to forming policy and protocol is crucial to job satisfaction. It may even result in some unexpected surprises. Some of the best new ideas implemented in companies around the world come directly out of the hourly workforce. An initiative started by a former Frito-lay CEO to have employees pitch their ideas to the management led to the invention of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, an innovation suggested by a janitor at the facility. Southwest’s famed comedic flight safety announcements, believed to be worth $140 million per year in increased customer loyalty, came about when management embraced one flight attendant’s creative take on the normally mundane monologue and encouraged others to follow suit. And what’s more, a decision-making process that includes the voices of a younger generation workforce speaks to a culture of inclusion and synergy, key traits sought after by Millennials and Gen Z employees. Lastly, providing a robust feedback program may serve to tamp down the common criticism that companies never listen to their employees.
Even with the enormity of the challenges Millennials and Gen Z face, they are undoubtedly equipped to succeed. They have shown incredible moxie and unique creativity in the face of adversity. They also bring a new viewpoint into the workplace that challenges the existing conditions, spurring innovation. They even encourage older generations to question their own expectations at work. They will continue to dare companies to think outside the box and keep managers on their toes.
It’s vital that companies recognize and acknowledge the hardships that younger generations are enduring. There are incredible learning and growth opportunities for any company, manager, or HR personnel that are willing to hear out the voices of these young adults and take action on the issues that matter to them. Rather than looking for third party representation, or riding the carousel of jobs, they will turn to management to help them resolve issues and provide solutions. By working together and fostering an environment conducive to adaptability, younger generation employees and their employers can take on whatever challenges and changes that the future may bring.
Written by Arthur Wentworth