EMPLOYEE DISENGAGEMENT:

Jim Bulger VP, HR Consulting

Talent Connections, LLC

What is Employee Engagement?

The “SHORES OF ENGAGEMENT”

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

• SEARCHERS

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

• SEARCHERS

• ORGANIZED

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

• SEARCHERS

• ORGANIZED

• RELAXED

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

• SEARCHERS

• ORGANIZED

• RELAXED

• INNOVATIVE

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

• SEARCHERS

• ORGANIZED

• RELAXED

• INNOVATIVE

• BIG PICTURE

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

• SEARCHERS

• ORGANIZED

• RELAXED

• INNOVATIVE

• BIG PICTURE

• PREPARED

The Highly Engaged

• ENERGETIC

• TEAM PLAYERS

• BUILDERS

• SEARCHERS

• ORGANIZED

• RELAXED

• INNOVATIVE

• BIG PICTURE

• PREPARED

• EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

Have Impact

Research shows high engagement results in

heightened productivity, and…

• Customer satisfaction

• Quality

• Innovation

• Change Transitions

• Employee Referrals

• Customer Referrals

Engaged employees take the initiative to really

learn and understand the business

“Sand Dollars”

Research shows that highly engaged employees

have a direct positive impact on:

• Operating margins

• Net profits

• Earnings per share

• Profit and revenue growth

• Customer retention

• Payroll budgets

• Turnover costs (recruitment, training, etc.)

• Achievement of operational and financial goals

The Highly Disengaged

“LOST AT SEA”

• Isolated, removed, distant

• Limited input and effort

• Too far from your beach to

see the attraction

• Resistant to change

• Openly critical, tend to

blame others

• Can be confrontational

• Can be disruptive

The Highly Disengaged

“LOST AT SEA”

• Looking to find

another, more

attractive beach

• Two decisions

typically made

before resigning

• May be too far

from your beach

to ever return

The Moderately Engaged

• Not fully committed to

the beach, but can see

benefits

• “Wait and see”

• Optimistic, but neutral

• Shifting sands

• Ex-Beachcombers who

entered water

• New hires

Why New Hires Become

• Feel they’re “on the outside

looking in”

• Used to more trust and

involvement with managers

• Less impactful assignments

than previous job

• Minimal information sharing

• Individual attention is gone,

now part of the crowd

• Ineffective on-boarding and assimilation processes

• Reality sets in, different from described expectations

The Disengaged

• No footing

• Struggling

• Worried, insecure

• Frustrated

• Defensive

• Feel under-appreciated

• Seems too difficult to swim back to shore

• Highly influenced by the strength of the

currents around them

Signs An Employee Is

• Work has become routine

• Task focus rather than on goals

• Inconsistent or poor interaction

with clients/customers/co-workers

• Ineffective time management

• Increased sick/personal time

• Settle for “good” rather than

pursuing “great”

• Deflect accountability

• Don’t perceive their impact

• Don’t willingly accept change

Water Depths Are Not Always Apparent

They are not based on talent

They are not based on potential

They are not based on pay

They are not based on employee satisfaction

They are not based on group perceptions

They are not consistent

The Changing Tides

“Changes in attitudes, changes in latitudes, Nothing remains quite the same…” --- Jimmy Buffett

un·der·tow (uhn-der-toh)

noun

A strong current below

the surface of a body of

water, moving in a

direction different from

that of the surface

current.

• Currents are always

flowing in both directions

• Negativity can be a

contagious influence

• No concern goes unvoiced

• Undertow can pull

“Waders” and “Adrifts”

into deeper water and

“Beachcombers” off shore

HOW CAN GROW?

• More interaction with unengaged

than engaged co-workers

• Damaged trust relationships

• Commiseration

• Lack of shared vision

• Unpopular management decisions

without explanation

• Lack of individual recognition

• Underutilized talents

• Unclear career paths

• Feeling “out of loop "and uninformed

Disengaged employees provide

negative power to undertow that

can influence others.

The only way to minimize the

strength of the undertow is to

increase the number of engaged

employees in our workforce.

What is Our Responsibility?

We cannot only act

as “lifeguards”, who

are reactive and

watch from shore for

signs of trouble on

the water’s surface

What is Our Responsibility?

We must become

“scuba divers” willing

to go into the water

and proactively look

for the causes and the

extent of undertow

beneath the surface

Underwater Research

“S.C.U.B.A.”

Search for

Causes of

Undertow

Before

Acting

Diving Equipment

Engagement surveys

Employee focus groups

Individual engagement assessments

Informal, employee-focused

one-on-one conversations

Encourage employee input

and then really listen

Performance measurements

Stay alert for unexpected changes in behaviors

Research Shows That

A Typical Organization Contains…

12%

28%

16% “LOST AT SEA”

44%

A One-Third Loss of Productivity…

ASSUMPTIONS:

If are 100% productive

If are 80% productive

If are 60% productive

If “LOST AT SEA” are 40% productive

FOR EVERY 100 EMPLOYEES YOU PAY, YOU’RE ONLY GETTING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF

67.2 EMPLOYEES

OUR GOAL …

CROWD

THE BEACH!

ENGAGEMENT = PRODUCTIVITY

If a 500 employee organization can raise its

engagement and overall productivity just 10%,

it’s the equivalent of having 50 more employees.

No additional payroll

No additional space requirements

No additional benefits costs

No additional expenses

Moving from “Employed” to “Engaged”

Expanding Your Beach

“75% of business leaders have no engagement

plan or strategy, yet 90% say it has a direct

impact on business success” --- ACCOR

“HR can’t manufacture engagement, but we have a

key role in helping companies develop the kind

of organizational culture where engagement can

thrive, and ensuring that managers have the

skills to make engagement a reality.” --- Jackie Orme, Chief Executive, CIPD

Expanding Your Beach

• Be intentional and deliberate about engagement

• Company-wide strategy driven by leadership

• Consistently demonstrate authentic values

• Educate/train your managers on engagement

• Empower employees to deliver value

• Don’t exploit “Beachcombers” for more sacrifice

• Bring adrift “high potentials” back to shore

• Openly demonstrate enthusiasm for company

Beach Building through

Effective Communication

• Give individual recognition and public praise

• Hold meaningful two-way conversations

• Communicate your culture, strategies and goals

• Promote transparency and information sharing

– Communicate both good news and bad

• Give clear instructions and individual coaching

• Set expectations/goals and express confidence

• Give immediate, specific individual feedback

Beach Building through

Effective Management Interaction

• Build mutual trust relationships

• Know each employee… and let them know the

company

• Avoid spending too much time “on the beach”

• Ensure every employee has the resources they

need to do job well

• Look for opportunities to utilize hidden talents

• Encourage innovation and creativity

• Create sense of ownership in every employee

How Engagement Strategies

Make a Difference…

78%

9%

10% “LOST AT SEA”

3%

ACTUAL RESULTS OF ATLANTA-BASED COMPANY

AFTER IMPLEMENTING ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

How Engagement Strategies

Make a Difference…

ASSUMPTIONS:

If ”BEACHCOMBERS” are 100% productive

If “WADERS” are 80% productive

If are 60% productive

If “LOST AT SEA” are 40% productive

FOR EVERY 100 EMPLOYEES THEY PAY, THEY’RE GETTING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF

91 EMPLOYEES

The Water’s Rising…

How Long Can You Wait to Take Action?

Wishing you a future full of

CROWDED BEACHES!

EMPLOYEE DISENGAGEMENT:

Jim Bulger VP, HR Consulting

Talent Connections, LLC