The question is: “Why do employees disengage, and how can you motivate managers to make employee engagement a priority?”
Here is how our training expert responded:
In his book, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtler Signs and Act Before It’s Too Late (AMACOM Books, 2005), author Leigh Branham identifies the primary reasons that lead employees to disengage from their work and, ultimately, leave the company. Employees:
- Realize that their expectations about the company are not real;
- Are not challenged by or interested in their jobs;
- Feel ignored by their managers;
- Think there is a lack of career advancement opportunities within the company;
- Feel devalued and unimportant;
- Are stressed due to overwork and burnout; or
- Have lost trust and confidence in senior management.
Branham, who is CEO and founder of Keeping the People, Inc., in Kansas City, Kansas, (www.keepingthepeople.com), identifies three ways to make sure managers focus on engaging employees:
- Select the “right” people for management positions,
- Train them to manage people, and
- Hold them accountable.
Are you struggling to keep employees engaged in contributing to a productive workplace environment? Could you use some practical, professional pointers? Check out BLR’s July 16 webinar, “Engaging Employees with RESPECT.” Learn more.
Branham is convinced that, for most organizations, the solution to unwanted turnover lies not in paying more and offering trendy perks, but in better day-to-day front-line management. He says managers should be trained to:
- Coach their employees,
- Provide feedback,
- Talk to employees about their career aspirations, and
- Acknowledge employees’ contributions to the organization.
He says companies should financially reward managers who achieve low voluntary turnover rates among good performers and higher scores on employee engagement surveys, and then have “what’s wrong?” meetings with managers who have high turnover rates.
The best way to drive home the message that employee engagement is important is to “just talk with managers about what’s in it for them,” Branham says. “Their people will be more motivated. They’ll be more productive.”
He recommends that managers sit down with all new hires to ask what their career goals are, to tell them that they’re important to the company, and to ask them to approach the manager with any problems. “It’s not an expensive proposition. It just takes a little time.”
Looking for the key to effective employee engagement? Look no further than BLR’s July 16 webinar, ““Engaging Employees with RESPECT.” Sign up risk-free.
In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll talk about the rising role of training in employee engagement—and we’ll introduce a brand new BLR webinar all about engaging employees to create a vibrant and productive workplace.