Keeping Employees Engaged

According to Gallup data, as of May 2024, 32% of U.S. employees were engaged and 16% were actively disengaged. That leaves 48% somewhere in the middle. Every business wants its workforce invested in the company’s mission. Getting more employees engaged means a stronger bottom line.  

For many, the day-to-day workload can feel overwhelming. However, a challenging workload doesn’t mean an employee isn’t engaged or feels their work is being rewarded.

Some of the reasons employees may not be as engaged as you’d like them to be include the following:

• The work they are doing is not stimulating enough for the employee. Some jobs are more repetitive and feel tedious over time.
• Work relationships can impact how engaged an employee may feel. If they are uncomfortable with team members or feel there are no real relationships, they are less likely to be productive.
• Sometimes there is a mismatch between their skills and abilities and the work they are assigned to do.
• The relationship an employee has with their immediate direct report, if poor, not only increases the likelihood they are less productive, but it is also makes it more likely they will leave the company.
• There can be a lack of understanding about how their job is contributing to the overall goals of the company.
• They may feel they have little to no autonomy for any part of their job.  

For any seasoned HR professional, it’s fairly easy to know when an employee isn’t engaged. Some of the major red flags are seeing the quality of work deteriorate. An employee who starts engaged may become quiet and be less likely to participate in group discussions or activities. They are usually the employees that tend to leave early, start late, and are less likely to volunteer for new projects.  

Payroll is usually the biggest expense for any company. It is the financial investment the company makes to ensure productivity and help the company grow. Understanding why more employees aren’t more engaged is the first step. Then there needs to be action steps and a way to measure if those steps are working.

There are some foundational first steps. First, it's critical that every employee is earning a livable wage. An employee who is struggling to pay basic expenses like rent, car payments, or utilities is going to be more stressed. They will also be the first to leave if they have an opportunity to make more money, regardless of the job description. 

Sometimes employees do not feel connected to the purpose and values of your organization. They may also think that their core personal values are not in line with those of the company. If you are doing an annual employee survey, and the employees know their answers are anonymous, you can include a few questions to see if this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Our basic nature as human beings is to be curious. When a job gets too repetitive, the employee is more likely to disengage. Building in new tasks and more opportunities to gain additional skills are ways to address this issue. It can be as simple as their direct report checking in on a quarterly basis and giving the employee the opportunity to share what they would like to be working on. It is important that they can discuss what they would like to learn or projects they are interested in rather than just being assigned without any input.

Few people want to be treated like a cog in a machine. Finding ways to give employee flexibility over their time or when they work on projects can make them feel more trusted.  Everyone has deadlines, but giving employees the opportunity to meet those in the best way for them can get them more engaged.

If getting your workforce more engaged is a priority for 2025, now is the time to start thinking about how your team will move forward, if there are specific segments of your organization you want to focus on, and who on the leadership team will be involved in this initiative. More engaged employees means a better work culture and a stronger bottom line.