Group 2: Employees Who Are Not Engaged

In the previous post, we stated that employee engagement focuses on three groups within an organization: people who are “Engaged,” those that are “Not Engaged,” and” employees who are “Actively Disengaged.” The Group 1: Employees Who Are Actively Disengaged post noted that according to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace Survey, 70% of all employees are either “Not Engaged” (52%) or “Actively Disengaged” (18%) and only 30% are “Engaged.”

In this post, we’ll look at employees who are “Not Engaged.”

“[These] employees are essentially “checked out.” They’re sleepwalking through their workday, putting time — but not energy or passion — into their work.1” These same employees were the sightseers in the previous post’s sailboat analogy.

This group of employees has become disenchanted over time. They may think that they are just a number to the company, that their input isn’t valued, that they don’t receive the recognition they believe they deserve, and/or they see no career opportunities in their future.

The “Not Engaged” group members have a propensity for…

  • Increased tardiness
  • Increased absences
  • Leaving work early
  • A “9-to-5” attitude in which employees work only those hours that are required
  • “It’s just a job” mentality
  • Scheduling non-existent meetings to fill their calendars in order to avoid real meetings
  • Excessively surfing the internet and social media sites
  • Taking frequent and/or long breaks
  • Minimizing or altogether stopping their participation in company activities and functions
  • Accomplishing less work
  • Not participating in meetings
  • Not volunteering to take on new or additional assignments

Some managers are also members of the “Not Engaged” group. These managers have been known to…

  • Take credit for the ideas of provided by their direct reports rather than offering their own
  • Relinquish their authority and/or delegate management tasks to their direct reports
  • Go out of their way to avoid conflict within the team
  • Act as a middleman for information without adding value or providing direction on what to do with that information

The group of people that are “Not Engaged” represents over half (52% according to the Survey) the total number of employees at most companies. It is possible to reengage these “Not Engaged” employees if their manager recognizes the signs of disengagement and takes the actions necessary to address them. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works for every organization. Employee engagement is an ongoing, long-term process that evolves over time and requires the commitment of management at all levels. Each company must determine what is uniquely suited to their organization in order to reconnect and motivate their employees. Since the “Not Engaged” group is also the largest segment of the employee population, it has the potential to impact the organization more than any other group.  As the ranks of “Engaged” employees grow, so do the benefits to the company in terms of a positive effect on the company’s bottom line and in enriched customer relationships.

1 p.21 of the Survey