How to Motivate Disengaged Employees at the Workplace and Re-engage Them

Engaged employees aren’t just more productive and creative; they’re also more loyal and find greater satisfaction in their role. Yet a vast swath of the workforce remains disengaged.

A Gallup survey from the second quarter of 2020 illuminated a concerning picture: merely 32% of employees felt actively engaged in their work, while the percentage of those actively disengaged rose to 18%.

This indicates a large number of workers are disconnected from their jobs, which may lead to adverse effects on their well-being and the organization's overall performance and reputation.

In this blog post, we'll look at how to identify the signs of disengagement, and strategies and activities to motivate disengaged employees.

Recognizing disengaged employees is the first step toward re-motivating them. These employees aren't always apparent because they might keep their dissatisfaction to themselves and not openly express complaints. Nonetheless, there are signs that hint at disengagement, including:

• Withdrawal: They often pull back from interactions with colleagues and managers, shy away from non-essential activities, and display little to no interest in the company's objectives or vision. This is also known as quiet quitting and is worth knowing the warning signs of a quiet quitter.
• Poor communication: Their communication with others becomes infrequent, unclear, or ineffective. They may also disregard feedback or requests from managers and peers.
• Breaks from routine: Changes in their work behavior might occur, such as consistently arriving late, leaving early, extending their breaks, or frequently calling in sick.
• Silence: A noticeable lack of questions, ideas, or opinions from them, along with limited participation in meetings or projects, can be a sign.
• Apathy: A visible loss in passion, enthusiasm, or creativity for their job, often accompanied by signs of boredom, exhaustion, or burnout.
• Lack of effort: Performing below their potential, missing deadlines, or delivering low-quality work, and avoiding new challenges or responsibilities.
• Negativity: Exhibiting a pessimistic or critical view towards work, colleagues, or customers, and possibly spreading rumors or complaining.

Ignoring these signs in your employees can lead to adverse effects for both the individual and the organization, such as:

• Reduced productivity: Lower efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation, with time, resources, or money potentially wasted.
• Lower quality: An increase in mistakes, errors, or defects in their work, potentially compromising organizational standards.
• Higher turnover: More likely to leave their job, leading to higher costs related to recruitment, training, and loss of talent.
• Lower morale: Negative effects on the morale, motivation, and engagement of their colleagues, creating an unwelcoming work atmosphere.
• Decreased customer satisfaction: Poor service, support, or value delivered to customers, harming the organization’s reputation.

Employee disengagement poses a significant threat to both individuals and their organizations. It's crucial to address this issue promptly by taking steps to re-motivate and re-engage your employees.

Some of the hidden reasons for low employee engagement or disengagement could be:

1. Low alignment with the organization's mission
2. Low job stability
3. Ineffective management or poor leadership
4. Insufficient communication
5. Inconsistent feedback

Understanding how to pinpoint disengaged employees and the repercussions of their lack of engagement is the first step. The next crucial phase is learning how to spark their motivation and reengage them. Luckily, there are several effective tactics you can employ to cultivate a more engaging work culture. Here are key strategies:

1. Create an Engaging Work Environment

A primary cause of employee disengagement is their discomfort, unhappiness, or feeling of unsafety at the workplace. Thus, establishing a positive work atmosphere that promotes engagement, trust, and collaboration is crucial. Achieve this by:

• Maintaining a clean, comfortable, and well-organized physical workspace.
• Offering flexible working options, like remote work, varying hours, or a hybrid approach.
• Fostering social connections and team spirit through online coffee breaks, happy hours, or games.
• Championing diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging by respecting varied opinions, backgrounds, and viewpoints. Use a sample DEI survey template to ask your employees about the effetiveness of your company's DEI initiatives.
• Setting clear objectives, expectations, and roles that resonate with the company’s vision and values.

2. Personal Development and Recognition

Disengagement can also stem from employees feeling stagnant, bored, or underappreciated. It’s imperative to provide avenues for personal development and acknowledgment. Here's how:

• Give access to training, coaching, mentorship, or learning materials to enhance employees' skills, knowledge, or abilities.
• Recognize employees' accomplishments, efforts, or contributions through feedback, commendation, or rewards.
• Encourage a sense of autonomy, empowerment, and ownership, allowing employees the room to make decisions and take on new challenges.
• Define career trajectories and offer chances for growth, elevation, or advancement.
• Engage employees in decision-making, problem-solving, or innovative processes by welcoming their ideas, opinions, or suggestions.

3. Improve Communication and Feedback

A lack of connection, feeling isolated, or being overlooked by managers or colleagues is another root cause of disengagement. Enhancing communication and feedback is essential.

• Adopt frequent, honest, and transparent communication using various mediums like email, phone, video, or instant messaging.
• Keep employees in the loop with updates and news pertaining to the company, team, or projects.
• Practice active, empathetic, and respectful listening, showing genuine interest and concern.
• Seek feedback, insights, or requests from employees and taking actionable steps based on them.
• Offer constructive, specific, and timely feedback, suggestions, or requests to employees.

By implementing these strategies, you pave the way for a more engaging work environment and culture, effectively motivating and reengaging disengaged employees.

To elevate the morale and motivation of your team, going beyond the conventional work environment setup, personal development, and recognition is key. By introducing innovative engagement activities, you can make the work lives of your employees more meaningful and rewarding. Here are some examples:

1. Team Building and Social Activities

Encouraging and implementing team building and social activities can significantly contribute to reducing stress, boosting communication, and sparking creativity among employees. A few engaging examples include:

• Escape rooms: A thrilling group activity where teams collaborate to solve puzzles, discover clues, and escape from a room within a set timeframe. Escape rooms provide an exciting challenge for employees at all levels. Choose from physical locations or virtual options online.
• Volunteer projects: Engage in altruistic activities to support social or environmental causes. These projects offer a chance for teams to develop new skills, network, and experience a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Opt to organize your own or participate in community projects.
• Virtual games: Perfect for remote or hybrid teams, virtual games offer a lively and interactive way to bond and stay connected. Examples include trivia, bingo, scavenger hunts, and murder mysteries.

2. Professional Development Opportunities

Offering educational and career-enhancing activities can aid in employee growth, learning, and advancement. Such opportunities help employees keep up-to-date, remain motivated, and feel confident in their roles. Here are some effective professional development activities:

• Learning clubs: Informal groups for employees to share and learn from each other’s knowledge, skills, or interests. These clubs foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning. You can start your own or join an existing one online.
• Lunch and learns: Informal, brief sessions held during lunch breaks where employees can gain new knowledge or insights. This is also a great opportunity for networking and idea exchange. Hosts can range from external speakers to fellow colleagues.
• Mentoring programs: Structured relationships where more experienced employees guide and advise their less experienced counterparts. These programs are a fantastic way for employees to develop new skills, gain valuable insights, and reach their objectives. Matches can be made based on mutual interests, needs, or autonomously chosen.

3. Incentive Programs

Incentive programs, centered around rewards and performance, can help employees achieve their goals, enhance their results, and feel valued. They encourage focus, commitment, and a competitive edge. Examples of effective incentive programs include:

• Employee spotlight awards: A form of recognition where employees are nominated and celebrated for their exceptional contributions. It's an excellent way to make employees feel appreciated, respected, and proud. Establish your own criteria or let employees vote for their peers.
• Peer-to-peer recognition platforms: Digital platforms that allow employees to give and receive appreciation, feedback, or rewards from their colleagues, fostering a supportive and motivated workforce. Utilize existing platforms like ThriveSparrow to create your own feedback surveys, and facilitate peer-to-peer recognition.
• Premium incentives: High-value, personalized rewards that employees can earn based on their performance or preferences, enhancing satisfaction, recognition, and loyalty. Again, a platform like ThriveSparrow can help you create your own unique rewards catalog.

Implementing these innovative engagement activities can significantly elevate your team’s morale and make their work experience more enjoyable and fulfilling.

The Road to Re-Engagement Begins with a Single Step

In this blog post, we've explored various strategies to motivate and re-engage employees who've lost interest in their work. We covered the importance of recognizing the signs of employee disengagement, its effects, and outlined strategies for creating a work environment that fosters engagement through personal development, recognition, and innovative engagement activities.

These steps can transform disengaged employees into committed and satisfied members of your team, ultimately enhancing performance, satisfaction, and retention within your workforce.

Remember that the journey to re-engagement is a collaborative endeavor, requiring a blend of empathy, strategic vision, and an unwavering commitment to cultivating a workplace where every employee feels valued, heard, and inspired to reach their full potential.