An employee doesn’t become disengaged overnight. It’s a gradual detachment due to work-related issues or personal dissatisfaction. As a team leader, business owner, or HR professional, your role is pivotal in influencing employee engagement levels with timely intervention and employee-oriented solutions.
In this post, we’ll show you which causes and signs of employee disengagement to look out for and how to tackle them through six actionable solutions.
What is a Disengaged Employee?
A disengaged employee is a worker who lacks motivation, enthusiasm, and commitment to their job and organization. They typically perform minimal work, show little initiative, and are emotionally disconnected from their workplace. Disengaged employees often exhibit reduced productivity, lower quality output, and may negatively impact team morale and company culture.
12 Signs of Disengaged Employees
Some warning signs of disengagement will be easy to recognize, while other indications may be hard to discern. You can spot the following 12 signs of disengaged employees through regular tracking and check-ins:
1. Decreased Productivity
The most apparent sign of reduced levels of employee engagement is when productivity is suffering. Decreased productivity across industries can look like this:
- Sales: Weak sales pitches, missed sales targets, increase in lead response time or average handling time
- Content marketing: Shoddy research/content briefs, missed deadlines, last-minute submissions, reduction in monthly submission load
- IT: Reduction in resolution rates and increase in average issue handle time
When work output falls over time or contains more negatives than positives, it’s a sign that your employee’s productivity has taken a hit.
2. Increased Absenteeism
Absenteeism, in this context, is about more than missing work for one or two days. It’s a deeper problem that affects employees’ ability to engage with their work and the organization over the long term.
3. Lack of Initiative
Some employees aim to fulfill only their essential duties, even at their most engaged. But when an employee who usually enjoys initiating new work projects or other tasks starts doing the bare minimum, it may mean their level of engagement is falling.
4. Minimal Participation in Meetings
“This meeting could have been an email” is a common sentiment. However, you still need to ensure that employees participate to some degree in meetings or at least be in tune with what’s happening. Like with initiative levels, if an employee who is consistently active in meetings stops speaking up, they may be feeling a lack of connection.
If you identify this shift, it’s a sign that the employee has disengaged and no longer sees the need (or value) in taking part in team meetings.
5. Reduced Collaboration with Colleagues
General changes in communication patterns, such as reduced verbal input, unusual body language, or general distraction, also matter.
A disengaged employee will not engage in workplace banter. They will have limited peer relationships and may opt out of team projects or hesitate to ask for help, indicating potential withdrawal, especially if they usually enjoy collaboration.
6. Reluctance to Provide Feedback
When an employee is indifferent to workplace happenings and does not share their opinions on the latest client tantrum, looming project deadline, or even the choice of pizza at the office party, it may be because they have detached themselves. Their disinterest in providing any thoughts or feedback on team performance and workplace occurrences is a potential sign of disengagement.
7. Negative Attitude Towards Work
Uninspired employees who are unable to engage positively with their responsibilities or coworkers may also feel downright pessimistic at work. Increased complaints, unfriendliness towards coworkers, outbursts, and an overall bad attitude about work are signs of disengagement and imminent employee burnout.
8. Lack of Enthusiasm for New Projects
An engaged employee will likely jump at the chance to test their skills with new projects. However, an employee who is feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or otherwise disengaged will not be enthusiastic about new projects. They may not have the inclination to do more than what they are already familiar with.
9. Resistance to Change
When an employee is not adaptable to a new process, technology, or organizational shift or does not give changes at work a fair chance, it may indicate disengagement. This could be because there’s a lack of motivation to reorient workflows or there’s a lack of trust related to how the company will roll out the changes effectively. Uncertainty regarding their role in light of new changes is another factor.
10. Missing Deadlines
A pattern of late submissions or consistent requests for extensions is an indicator of low work productivity or employee motivation. When an employee constantly turns in work late, misses work targets, or extends deadlines without prior communication, it will be a sign that they are disconnected and may require managerial support.
11. Decrease in Work Quality
Having a comprehensive system to track employee KPIs will help you monitor any decline in work quality. Industry-agnostic markers for work quality include error margin, time management, oversight, focus, and knowledge application.
12. Lack of Interest in Professional Development
If an employee is detached, there will be a noticeable absence of excitement about professional development opportunities and a lack of enthusiasm for training programs. Either they don’t feel motivated enough to work towards their career goals, or they believe the opportunities for professional development available to them are not helpful.
Causes of Employee Disengagement
When you identify a disengaged employee, it is vital to zero in on the cause of disengagement. You must take an empathetic (rather than defensive) approach while investigating the following causes of employee disengagement.
Organizational Factors
An organizational culture that fulfills the following psychological conditions will have more engaged employees:
- Meaningfulness: Value arising out of work goals or purpose.
- Safety: Psychological safety stemming from being able to express oneself without fear of negative consequences.
- Availability: Psychological availability and cognitive resources to engage and excel at work.
Poor leadership and management prevent psychological safety for employees. For example, unwillingness to listen to employees shows poor leadership, causing them to disengage.
Also, employers need to uphold the values they expect their employees to champion. An employee who joins a company because it champions diversity will feel like their work has lost meaning if their supervisors are involved in exclusionary tactics. A lack of alignment of values will reduce their cognitive availability and engagement.
Job-Related Issues
Some obvious causes of employee disengagement include a lack of growth opportunities, which causes them to feel stuck, and also inadequate compensation and benefits with no promise of betterment.
A more subtle cause of disengagement is gradual burnout due to overworking. You (or the employee) may not see the signs immediately, as demotivation, low concentration, and fatigue are hard to detect immediately, and they are often ignored symptoms of burnout.
Workplace Environment
Favorable working conditions and employee-forward policies ensure a positive workplace environment. When these factors are missing, the company culture erodes, leading to a negative work environment.
Rather than compensation issues, a toxic workplace environment is ten times more likely to result in employees quitting.
Employers must also consider the physical work environment in addition to company culture. Examples of unacceptable physical working conditions include poor lighting, unhygienic/cramped spaces, lack of security, and uncomfortable work chairs and tables. These can lead to accidents, fatigue, stress, and, eventually, disengagement.
Another component is a skewed work-life balance, which can cause resentment and disengagement.
Personal Factors
Some employees disengage when they are experiencing personal issues at work.
For example, if employees experience a lack of recognition from team supervisors, they will feel undervalued.
Another factor that affects employee engagement is a lack of control over critical work decisions. If an employee doesn’t have a say in which projects they work on or how to approach tasks at work, they will feel demotivated and disconnected from work processes.
6 Ways to Address Employee Disengagement
Once you have spotted signs of disengagement, implement one (or a combination) of these six methods to address employee disengagement:
1. Improve Communication
One of the best methods to determine the root cause of employee disengagement is through transparent two-way communication.
You can accomplish this by:
- Using collaboration tools to give quick and frequent performance feedback, primarily if your employees work remotely and are involved in long-term projects with multiple milestones
- Circulating anonymous surveys with (and this is the crucial part) a follow-up document detailing steps being taken toward employee wellness based on the concerns raised.
- Conducting open forums and regular feedback sessions that allow employees to voice concerns or highlight potential roadblocks to achieving their work goals.
Approaching the issue with curiosity rather than disdain is the best way to prevent ineffective communication with employees.
2. Enhance Employee Development
Employees who feel stuck because their skills are stagnating often disengage after a few months. A powerful engagement strategy is to invest in employee growth, whether through personal development workshops or company-led career advancement initiatives.
Employee morale is high when managers are also invested in employee growth. Employees who feel supported will perform better and push themselves more, leading to higher engagement.
3. Foster a Positive Work Environment
And no, we don’t just mean reducing the workload. For instance, when an employee who works a comfortable number of hours per week is asked to answer emails immediately or is expected to sit in one pointless meeting after another, their work-life balance is thrown off.
Employees will feel more motivated to work if they observe that their supervisors/managers are mindful of their bandwidth and allow them to choose how they want to fulfill their deliverables.
Beyond these fundamentals about work-life balance, what makes a positive work environment will differ depending on the workplace and industry. You can involve employees in deciding what other organizational policies can be implemented. After all, corporate policies directly impact employees, so they ought to have a say, and this agency will lead to more engagement.
Another way to foster a positive work environment is to build a sense of community, but this should be done in a way that employees enjoy.
LinkedIn News Australia conducted a poll on its page asking, “What kind of forced fun do you enjoy the least?” Here are the results of the poll.
Consider asking for input about the kind of team-building activities they want. This solution will be helpful especially for larger organizations with diverse employees who have varied personal interests.
Finally, rewarding employee achievements is a tried-and-tested method of increasing engagement. A genuine ‘thank you’ from management can lead to an ncrease in employee engagement.
4. Empower Employees
When your employees feel included and valued at work, engagement levels will automatically improve. By giving them autonomy, not just with their tasks but also with the larger goals of the organization, you are building trust and promoting creativity and innovation while creating an empowering atmosphere.
5. Align Company and Employee Values
A significant gap between management and employees arises when employees don’t see their managers upholding company values or feel they have no values to align with.
To counter this, companies must define and communicate company goals and values right at the hiring stage.
But that’s just the beginning. The company’s leadership should project these values in their decisions and interactions with employees. To reiterate company values, you can conduct town halls and AMAs.
When employees see the management practice these values, they are likely to mirror it.
6. Address Individual Concerns
Not all causes of employee disengagement, such as personal life stressors, mental health problems, and other individual concerns, can be actively assuaged.
However, you can provide support, flexibility, and empathy through accommodations that will help with their situation. These include flexible working arrangements, access to sponsored counseling services, and employee assistance programs.
How Teramind Supports Employee Engagement
Teramind is a leading productivity monitoring solution that can help you track and improve employee engagement. Here’s how it works:
- Training and Development: Teramind can identify skill gaps or areas where employees may need additional training based on their productivity levels. Managers can use this data to provide targeted training opportunities, showing investment in employee growth and development.
- Flexibility and Trust: When used transparently and with clear policies, Teramind can demonstrate trust in employees by focusing on outcomes rather than micromanaging processes. This flexibility can lead to greater job satisfaction and engagement.
- Compliance and Well-being: Ensuring compliance with company policies and regulations through Teramind can create a secure and supportive work environment. Employees feel more comfortable and engaged when they know their work environment is safe and aligned with ethical standards.
- Remote Work Support: For remote or hybrid work setups, Teramind can help maintain connection and engagement by providing visibility into remote employees’ activities and fostering collaboration.
FAQs
What happens if employees are disengaged?
When employees are disengaged, it can lead to reduced productivity, lower job satisfaction, and increased turnover rates. It is important for organizations to address employee disengagement to maintain a motivated and high-performing workforce.
What is the root cause of disengaged employees?
The root cause of disengaged employees can vary, but common factors include a lack of clear communication from management, insufficient recognition and rewards, and a mismatch between employee values and company values. Addressing these issues can help improve employee engagement and overall workplace satisfaction.
What does a disengaged employee look like?
A disengaged employee may exhibit signs such as low productivity, lack of enthusiasm, and a disconnection from company values and goals. They may also show minimal effort, disinterest in their work, and a higher likelihood of turnover.
Conclusion
There’s no “hack” to convert unengaged employees into dedicated workers who feel attached to their jobs.
At the heart of this endeavor will be tracking and observing employee behavior. The more you know about their day-to-day actions and commitment to their tasks, the more you will be able to anticipate reduced engagement and make the changes needed to support them.
