FINANCIAL COST OF EMPLOYEE DISENGAGEMENT
BUT WHAT ACTUALLY IS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT?
The term ‘employee engagement’ refers to the emotional commitment an employee
has to the business they work for. It’s a measure of the extent to which an employee
feels committed, loyal and passionate about the work they do, of how willing they
are to collaborate with their teammates, of how likely they are to go above and
beyond in order to achieve common business objectives and drive success.
If you know what you’re looking for, disengaged employees really do stand out. They
are characterised by easily identifiable traits and behaviours:
DIFFICULT TO
WORK WITH
An overriding desire for
independence is a key
identifier of a disengaged
employee. Disengaged
employees aren’t invested in
the success of the company,
so feel little need to
collaborate with teammates
or to help others. This is
poisonous for company
culture – it creates an
environment of bad blood
and dissatisfaction, and
damages overall team morale.
EAGER TO LEAVE
In the UK, 23% of employees
are currently looking for
a new job, and average
employee turnover is
predicted to increase from
*14.6% to 18% by 2018.
Disengaged employees tend
to lack the desire to move
up the internal ladder. Even
if they aren’t actively seeking
new positions during work
hours, they will think ‘the
grass is always greener’ and
won’t plan for a future at
the company.
*HR Grapevine: Employee Turnover
Rises 2014
LACKING
ENTHUSIASM
Disengaged employees
aren’t emotionally devoted
to, or excited about, the
business vision and mission.
They rarely stay late after
work, and if they do they
will ensure everyone knows
about it. They are regularly
apathetic about the tasks
they are doing, affecting both
the quality and quantity of
work output.
NEGATIVITY
Disengaged employees
are often wound up by
the smallest of things.
And this extends beyond
the office – disengaged
employees aren’t proud of
the organisation they work
for and so won’t act as
brand advocates. In an era
of ‘glassdoor’ transparency
and independent online
review platforms, this does
nothing for the company’s
social branding and, quite
often, leaves a negative
digital footprint.
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