The ‘engaged’ category only accounts for 23% of the workforce, according to data from Gallup. Meanwhile, the ‘actively disengaged’ represent 18% and the fence-sitting, quietly quitting ‘not engaged’ group were a whopping 59%.
The impact of the fence-sitter on the global economy? A staggering US$8.8 trillion on global productivity – or 9% of the global GDP.
But disengaged employees are only seemingly disengaged argues Ishan Galapathy, an operational excellence strategist, author, speaker and mentor. He believes they are actually waiting to be discovered, leveraged and motivated. Here’s how to do it…
Get them involved in improvement
By carefully including some of the seemingly disengaged into project teams led by an engaged employee, you not only get their ideas but also leverage them to take action.
Working with any of the structured problem-solving methodologies, these teams will not only move the needle on engagement, but on productivity gains as well.
Most leaders think it is up to them to improve the workplace. My mantra is ‘improve with the team not for the team’.
Fix what matters to them
Your employees know what frustrates and prevents them doing their best work. So, find ways to brainstorm issues that frustrate and prevent business growth. Can you find baseline data to prioritise these ideas? Then resolve them through the process shared in the previous point.
While implementing SMART technology solutions, we are also creating DUMB employees – those who are constantly Devalued, Underestimated, Misunderstood and Belittled.
Sadly, they are waiting to be Developed, Utilised, Motivated and Believed-in.
Create an infectiously positive culture
Playfulness, progress and persistence help to create an infectiously positive culture, which increases the likelihood of fence-sitters getting involved.
When Tony Hsieh took over Zappos, the culture was reflected in the core values. And Zappos’ unique approach to employee engagement can be quantified – when its call centre moved from the Bay Area to Las Vegas an astonishing 80% of California employees relocated.
In 2008, when average call centre turnover was 150%, Zappos was just 39%. In 2009, Amazon acquired Zappos for US$1.2 billion.
And now leaders from companies known for service and quality, such as Southwest Airlines and Toyota, make regular visits to learn from Zappos.
It’s easier than you think
The secret to engaging the seemingly disengaged is involvement. Get them involved in the right initiatives with the right teams.
Over time, they’ll be willing to lead initiatives as well, when they see progress and impact. Share their success stories at your town hall meetings to infuse positivity.
Stay on this method, and you’ll continually improve productivity and engagement.
