Improve Employee Engagement with a Few Tweaks

Here’s a head-scratcher: If only one-third of your workforce is engaged, what’s the deal with the other two-thirds?

According to Gallup’s research*, a meager 33% of employees are involved and enthusiastic about their work and workplace. That’s a red flag in any business playbook, especially if your goal is to dominate your market.

When Gallup surveyed 67,000 people in 2022, they noted that 17% of employees were “actively disengaged” and 33% were “actively engaged.” That leaves half of the employees in the middle ground. We believe this is where you can turn morale around. A few changes to a leader’s or manager’s meeting cadence and agenda might sway the middle folks to the actively engaged category.

The report also indicated that onsite, hybrid, and fully remote employees all experienced declines in feeling connected to the mission or purpose of their organizations. The issue of employee engagement isn’t just a remote one.

We work with leaders and teams to improve alignment for business growth. Here are seven issues we’ve seen that have contributed to low employee engagement:

1. Lack of clear communication about corporate values and strategy in onsite-hybrid-remote reality

   1. Your people need to hear a clear articulation of the organization’s direction, and they need to hear it repeatedly. 

      
      

2. Poor expectation setting by managers for younger and/or newer employees

   1. Think of expectations like SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

      
      

3. Not enough time for managers to know their direct reports’ work challenges and aspirations, as well as what’s happening in their personal lives

   1. Use one-on-one meetings as a dialogue and get to know your employees. How can you add value to their professional lives?

      
      

4. Top-down approach to feedback

   1. Feedback works best when it flows both ways. Invite your subordinates to give you candid feedback on the way you run meetings or how they think the one-on-ones are working.

      
      

5. Lack of celebration, appreciation, and acknowledgment when milestones are achieved

   1. This is one of the areas where I made huge mistakes as a young manager; running over my staff. Take time to celebrate the wins and show recognition of your team’s value.

      
      

6. Absence of one-on-one meetings between managers and direct reports

   1. A regular cadence of one-on-one meetings can deepen the connection an employee feels to the organization, their leader, and their work.

      
      

7. Bad meetings lack an agenda, cadence, action items, etc. 

   1. Solicit feedback about your meetings from your direct reports. What might make those times more effective for you and for them?

Addressing a few of these areas just might help you re-engage 50% of your employees, creating a healthier and more productive work environment for everyone on your team. 

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Curious about how to step up your meetings, managing skills, and corporate culture? RKE Partners works with leaders and businesses to deepen team alignment for business growth. Let’s explore how to level up your leadership game. Schedule a consultation.