Almost every company claims to prioritize Employee Engagement, that is usually just a catchphrase. The truth is, employers know that not everyone will be engaged, and they are counting on their resignation.
The truth hurts, however, that is how most companies roll. According to Investopedia, many companies do not understand why it is very important to keep employees engaged and motivated. Surely many of you have encountered being told "You're lucky you have a job, so just do what you're told" or "Then quit, I'm sure many people are desperate to find a job like yours."
Employers who do not understand employee engagement importance obviously do not see that far ahead into the future. Employee engagement is a factor that determines the success of a company. Unhappy employees equate to poorly met goals, and an 'I don't care' attitude.
Another truth is that some companies actually understand how employee engagement works, but instead they count on these employees leaving. When an employee is disengaged, employers know that they will leave eventually, which will make more room for new hires with fresh talent.
However, what if the employees who become disengaged are actually loyal ones? The people who have spent more than ten years with the company and will not leave no matter how disengaged they are? Their loyalty will instead have a negative effect on the company because they are not engaged. According to Entrepreneur, these employees refer to themselves as 'prisoners.' Viewing your employer as a 'warden' isn't exactly a healthy thing for both employee and employer.
1. Attention and Recognition
Why do these employees stay even though they are already bored and uninterested in what they are doing? Because loyal employees who have stayed longer in the company are likely to already have high pay. With a large amount of money jumping into their pockets every payday, why leave?
These loyal employees are already comfortable with the job and especially the pay. There is no need to be all hyped for work if the employee is already satisfied with what they have. So what else can be used to inspire them to change their ways?
One of the mistakes made by employers is they focus on those who are new. The fresh talent that are just coming on board get the spotlight, then management proceeds to retain these new hires so that they wouldn't leave. But what about the loyal employees? The fact that they have been there for possibly decades makes the management think that these workers are less likely to leave.
Hence, they overlook their performance and forget to give them attention as stated by Investopedia. It is important to make everyone in your workforce feel important and appreciated, no matter the tenure.
2. Challenge
Light the fire in their eyes again by presenting them with a challenge. Not just any challenge, it has to be something special, some sort of project that will first require them to learn new skills.
It is not enough to hand them a thick binder of studies or send them a Dropbox link with loads of PDFs to study. It is better to engage them to learn using experimental teaching methods that utilize technology.
After finding the right method to re-educate your ever loyal employee, it is time to challenge them to put those new skills to the test. Don't let them sit back and relax after learning all those things, put it to use. Learning doesn't end with the last slide of the presentation.
One must put the learnings to action, execute the new skills and master it. Provide the employee with a special project and have them take the lead, being tenured and much comfortable in the company should also be a positive tool to use when leading the fresh talent.
3. Light Their Future
Show these loyal employees that they matter. That the long years they have spent working for the company did not go unnoticed. Offer them a job as a Brand Ambassador, or any post that will make them feel engaged.
Being the tenured, loyal employee they are, no matter how disengaged they are right now, they will still feel a sense of dedication once the company shows interest in their abilities again. Hence they will start to perform better. If you are lucky, these employees might remember what made them fall in love with their job all those years ago. Stay tuned to Jobs & Hire for more workplace tips!
