Quick Fact: Did you know that lean manufacturing software improves productivity by streamlining processes and increasing employee engagement?

Who is a Disengaged Employee?

Disengagement is characterized by the absence of drive and contentment, and a disengaged employee is someone whose excitement, attitude, and work quality have all diminished.

The percentage of disengaged employees is rising, which is a cause for concern with 85 percent of employees actively disengaged at work, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace study. Employee disengagement also leads to decreased productivity, poor work performance, and higher turnover. Because of these significant disadvantages, it is critical for companies to address the issue of employee disengagement.

But first, we must understand why employees are disengaged so that organizations can take actionable efforts to eliminate them once they have this insight.

So, let’s look at 10 of the most common reasons why employees are disengaged.

1.      Lack of Communication and Engagement

Clear and consistent communication is critical for employee engagement. Employees need to understand what their managers expect of them, as well as concrete feedback on how they’re doing in their jobs. Employees will struggle to acquire the attention required for meaningful engagement if they don’t know what they can do to improve or what their positions should look like. Employee engagement can be considerably boosted by open, honest, and constant communication in the workplace. Do you know that lean manufacturing software can help to improve a company’s productivity by streamlining processes and increasing employee engagement?

2.      Lack of Purpose and Connection to Organizational Vision 

A lack of purpose or meaning in the workplace is one of the leading causes of employee disengagement. Occasionally, employees don’t always agree with a company’s goal. Alternatively, the company may fail to provide its employees with purposeful, meaningful work, causing them to become dissatisfied and disengaged from their jobs. Employees who are disengaged do not believe that their contributions contribute to the company’s growth and success. Employees must believe in and be aligned with the company’s purpose, vision, and goals in order to be engaged at work.

3.      Lack of Empowerment

Allowing employees to make their own decisions allows them to take ownership of their job in a manner that they won’t be able to if every single decision comes from above. Empowering employees to take responsibility for their job can lead to a greater investment in their work and inspire them to see their decisions through to completion.

4.      Lack of Flexibility

Although organizations require some structure to function, flexibility is also important when required. Employees may feel unfairly boxed in and lose motivation if they can never modify their hours when they need to, take an impromptu day off, or work remotely when possible.

5.      Poor Teamwork and Collaboration

It is most likely impossible for anyone to function productively in an environment where they feel detached and have poor positive relations. Even if an employee is enthusiastic about the job, if they are uncomfortable in the company of their coworkers or team members, they are likely to remain disengaged.

Employee engagement is typically boosted by teamwork and collaboration, which provides them with a supportive network of people with whom they may form genuine bonds. Through collaboration, employees can ask questions, discuss problems, propose new ideas, and strengthen overall ties with the company.

6.      Lack of Continuous Feedback System

Every team needs two-way feedback to be efficient and one thing that companies are constantly attempting to harness is the potential of gathering real-time upward feedback. Employees may feel less certain about their goals if they never receive information about the qualities of their work and potential changes they can make. This ambiguity can lead to a loss of motivation.

Employees who receive regular feedback from their manager are three times more likely to be engaged than those who only receive input once a year, according to Gallup, encouraging upward feedback provides the sense that all voices are heard and that all perspectives matter.

7.      Poor Leadership

Employee engagement is dependent on relationships with managers and leaders. Many employees still have a lack of faith in their leaders, which is one of the leading causes of employee disengagement. Poor leadership can often be found all the way up to the top of the corporate ladder, including the senior executive and board of directors. Employees may be hesitant to invest in a company that is about to go bankrupt if they believe the individuals guiding the ship haven’t chosen the appropriate direction.

To increase employee engagement, strong leadership must often achieve three major goals. Leaders must model engagement, communicate how employee responsibilities benefit the firm, and foster a culture that values all elements of employee roles.

8.      Lack of Recognition and Reward

A major part of what causes a fantastic employee to disengage is a lack of appreciation. They want to know that their employers are aware of and appreciate their efforts. Employees who put their minds and hearts into their work but rarely receive praise or rewards for their efforts are more likely to become drained and disengage. Employees who are recognized at work are 80 percent more likely to be motivated at work, which leads to better results.

Companies who engage in solutions to maintain employee recognition in a simple, frequent, and meaningful way have taken a proactive step toward ensuring that an employee’s potential increases and not reduces when they join their team.

9.      Lack of interest in employee well-being 

Employee engagement is influenced by elements such as employee well-being and work-life balance. Employers who care about their employees’ well-being are more likely to create highly engaged work environments.

10.      Limited Career Growth and Development

One of the key reasons why candidates pick new employers and why current employees stay with their current employers is the opportunity for growth. To succeed, employees require training and development. Initial training equips employees with the abilities they’ll need to accomplish their professions well, and continued development allows them to broaden their knowledge and skills. It’s difficult for individuals to know how to excel without these important pieces, and they may lack motivation to do so if the way forward is confusing.

As a result, if organizations want your employees to be more engaged, they need to know how their career path can look within the company.