The Disengagement Dilemma: Should I Stay or Should I go?

Employee engagement is a top concern for U.S. companies today, and justifiably so.  A finding from a recent Gallup report serves as testament to the growing focus on worker dedication: only 30% of the U.S. workforce is engaged, costing businesses an estimated $550 billion annually. The large-scale epidemic of disengagement within the American workforce has led many to panic, struggling to find solutions before it’s too late.

The burning question:  What can be done to reverse the disengagement that threatens both our productivity and our pocketbooks?

Simply put, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to the problem. Experts generally advise organizations to analyze the breadth and depth of workers’ engagement, then identify and implement solutions specific to areas of concern. A problem, though, is that the processes involved in the selection and adoption of new solutions can take considerable time and effort.

Ruth Ross, a former senior-level HR executive from Wells Fargo, recently highlighted a management technique that can immediately start to reverse the negative effects of disengagement.  In a Forbes article Ms. Ross discussed the use of a “stay conversation,” an idea further explored in her interview with Erin Osterhaus, HR analyst of Software Advice.  

A stay conversation is designed to help managers quickly screen employees’ engagement levels, then flesh out interventions that prevent further decline.  Leaders ask what employees like and dislike about their jobs, assess their commitment to and interest in their work, then use this information to help develop individual action plans.  In communicating with workers, Ross encouraged managers to consider these recommendations:

1. When asking questions, be specific and at a minimum cover:

• What talent or skills do you wish we made more use of in your job?
• Do you feel like the work you do is meaningful? Why or why not?
• If you could change one thing about your job or the company, what would it be?

Leaders are advised to focus on actively listening to employees’ ideas and concerns, using this information to better determine their levels of engagement.

2. Don’t identify the discussion as an “engagement exercise.”

Ross said that it’s critical to avoid labeling the conversation an “engagement exercise.” This can best be done by making it a regular part of the manager’s job, holding the discussion once or twice each year. Managers should be sure employees know it’s not a performance review, but that it’s simply an opportunity to have two-way, give-and-take conversation.  “It should allow the manager to get into their employee’s head so as to better understand how they’re feeling about their job, while at the same time letting the employee express their concerns freely and without fear,” Ross noted.

3. Formulate an action plan.

Based on what employees reveal during this conversation, both verbally and non-verbally, Ross suggested that managers develop a 1-to-3 step individual action plan with each employee. One step should be directly related to any obstacle the employee identified that impeded their work effectiveness. Other steps might help employees develop skills of their choosing or allow them to get involved in other areas of the organization they have a particular interest in.

In interviewing Ross, Osterhaus asked the HR expert about key takeaways managers should consider.  She replied: “Disengagement doesn’t discriminate. It affects people at all levels, in all industries and job roles. And for everyone, re-engagement can start with a simple ‘ask and listen’.”

Concerned about how disengagement is affecting your employees’ morale, performance, and productivity?  Contact WorkSmart for more information about ways to reduce – if not eliminate – the negative impact that low worker engagement can have on your company’s bottom line.