The high cost of low employee engagement—with actionable strategies you can use to recognize and re-inspire every member of your team.
What you don’t know about employee disengagement may not kill you—but it will probably kill your chances of having a really great week. Today’s newsletter is all about giving you (and your team!) the tools to engage—starting with all the reasons why this problem isn’t going away.
Employee disengagement is a pervasive and global problem—no matter your company, size, or industry.
We’ve all seen the studies about the high costs of low engagement.
According to a report from Gallup, lost productivity triggered by low engagement costs the world about $7.8 trillion dollars a year. And in the US alone, corporations lose about $350 billion annually.
One in three workers experiences high stress on the job.
Distractions (think: cellphones, open office plans, constant notifications, etc) significantly hurt productivity. One major US manufacturer found that as much as 93.6% of lost productivity was caused by distractions.
Even if the above is news to you, the question isn’t “Is low engagement a problem?” It’s “How can I solve it…for today?”
And that’s exactly what this newsletter is all about. Because sometimes the most impactful employee re-engagement strategies are also the most simple. And affordable. And genuinely rewarding.
Yes, low employee engagement is a global norm. But you can reset the pattern!
I may not know you by name (yet!), but I get the sense you’re an innovator. You’re the kind of person who’s willing to learn, ready to change, and sick of sitting back. You know the massive advantage of a highly engaged and passionately precise workforce. And you’re willing to take steps forward—instead of playing into the statistics.
Here’s where you can start:
Employee-igniting strategy #1: Show up and showcase
In a survey by Great Places to Work, a full 37% of respondents said that they would produce better work more often if they received more personal recognition. In fact, recognition outranked a promotion, more training, and higher pay as the top driver of better work and greater engagement.
Dedicated acts of recognition—like a handwritten note left on a desk, a meeting shoutout, a coffee gift card, or a half-day on Friday—have an immense impact on company engagement, morale, and motivation. And best of all, recognition can be one of the most budget-friendly, bottom-line boosting strategies you can leverage.
Employee-igniting strategy #2: Take mattering into your own hands.
A trending topic in employee engagement circles is the concept of mattering—the general sense of feeling and being significant, valued, and important.
When it comes to employee engagement, mattering matters.
Employees who feel truly valued, supported, and cared for by their leaders and the organization as a whole are more motivated to stay engaged—and bring their best
Prioritizing performance over punching the clock. With today’s hybrid work structures, gone are the days when we assume productivity only happens between 9 and 5. We all know that a lot of life can happen in the meantime, so do your team a favor and be clear with your expectations—and compassionate about curveballs. Let them know you trust them to deliver by your deadlines and to keep the line of communication open.
Encouraging growth opportunities. Ample opportunities for professional development and skill building show your teams you care about their future (and hope it’s with you!).
Listening. As simple as it sounds, listening is one of the most effective ways to show your teams that you genuinely care about their experience. Beyond encouraging feedback, take steps to act on it.
Employee-igniting strategy #3: Cultivate a culture of resilience
Resiliency—the ability to bounce back better in response to setbacks—starts with your leaders, shifts your culture, and is strengthened through your initiatives.
Curious what resiliency looks like in the wild?
Teams that tackle obstacles like they’re stepping stones.
Leaders that celebrate attempts, risks, and lessons learned from mistakes.
Organizations that handle challenges and manage change with confidence.
One way to build stronger resiliency within your organization is to encourage a growth mindset among your teams. It’s transforming every “we can’t” with “we haven’t…yet.” It’s celebrating different perspectives and experiences. It’s judging your progress based on where you started—instead of what you haven’t yet accomplished.
Resiliency is one of my favorite employee engagement topics, and is a major theme in my keynote, Work to Win. In that keynote, I give leaders the skills, science-informed steps, and brain hacks they need to boost engagement at every level—from the first floor to the C-Suite. If you’re curious about booking my keynote for your organization, send me a message or learn more here.
Rise to the challenge!
I get it—rebuilding your organization’s culture from the ground up is overwhelming. But 1% improvements? They add up to lasting peak performance. My challenge to you: Try just one of these strategies this week. Let me know in the comments—how did it go over? What did you learn? What would you do differently?
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