The results of a recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder reveal at least one in five employees are searching for a new job and have included it on the top of their top resolution list in 2017.  This statistic should not come as a big surprise since this is indeed the time of year when most people evaluate their happiness, financial status, and life goals.  These priorities are not mutually exclusive, and a fulfilling career can certainly make a strong impact on all three.

As a business leader, it is imperative that you have strategies to retain your talent.  Those plans should include training your leaders to recognize when a valued employee is disengaged and at risk of leaving your organization as well as ways to interact with their team and keep them engaged.

These strategies are not very complicated, yet many organizations don’t employee any of these ideas.  The most common reasons I have heard are either a lack of time, concern over dedicating financial resources from an already thin budget, or fear of not being able to deliver solutions in an ever-changing climate in a timely manner (thinking that perhaps the problem will correct itself).   Whatever your organization’s reason is, it certainly cannot cost more time and resources than losing real talent.

So how do you know who on your team is looking externally for a change?  Other than coming right out and asking them, which is not a crazy idea – but they may not be truthful, your next option is to have a keen awareness to some typical signs. Below are several signs of a disengaged employee and techniques to keep them engaged.

Characteristics of a Disengaged Employee

Reluctant to change.

An employee who previously demonstrated an openness to new initiatives or last minute change in priorities now needs to be encouraged to support change.

Loss of creative drive.

Your employee now needs to be prompted to be innovative and creative and to bring forth new ideas.

Absent physically and mentally.

Your employee spends more time away from his or her work location than usual, perhaps claiming personal needs (doctor, family, etc.) as an excuse.  They may be at work, but commiserating in the break room, water cooler, or in a colleague’s office.

Stressed out and/or easily agitated.

He or she seems visibly stressed at work and is not forthcoming as to why.  Stress over both professional and personal matters impact an employee’s focus and motivation while at work, and subsequently can be an impetus to seek change.

Steps to Bolster Engagement

Listen to your leaders.

Employees who are supervised by highly engaged managers are 59% more likely to have high engagement than those led by actively disengaged managers. (State of the American Manager, Gallup, April 2015).   Listen to your leaders and ensure they have the resources to achieve company objectives.  Mandate soft skills training in areas of communication, conflict resolution and setting goals for their team.

Provide your employees with the tools to grow.

Even though 22% of employees may be looking for a new job, the percentage of knowledge workers seeking to improve their performance, learn a new skill, and negotiate a higher salary is even greater.  What great news for the business owners and leaders who have progressive full-cycle, performance management programs in place.  However, if you are still using an annual performance assessment program that gets put in a file cabinet for the remainder of the year, make performance feedback conversations commonplace and mentor your employees on what new skills will aid in their advancement.  More importantly, help them identify where they can learn these skills, such as partnering with another colleague or participating in a formal training program.

Ask your employees what they think.

Having a forum to be heard has a tremendous impact on organizational culture.  Short employee “pulse” surveys and stay interviews are excellent tools to tap into what your employees are thinking and saying.  However, remember when you ask for feedback, be prepared to act on recommended changes in order to build a productive culture.

ProTilly has the skill, experience, & tools ready to be adapted to your culture and make a significant impact on your operations within 30-90 days.  Contact us for a free consultation with our culture expert to explore how we can help you.