It happens to the best of us. One of your top performers – your most reliable employee who used to be your best resource – isn’t delivering the same quality of work they used to. The change was slow and subtle, but you can no longer ignore the fact that performance is dropping off. Is it possible to re-engage with your employees who have lost their spark?
What’s Behind Employee Disengagement?
Boredom, burnout, and low morale can all be caused by multiple factors. On a personal level, for example, many workers begin to develop itchy feet and a need for change. Others may be overloaded with personal problems that are unrelated to work. Regardless, the most common contributors to employee disengagement are related to poor management. In all cases, your efforts should be focused on correcting issues within your control, in order to re-engage with your discouraged employees. Here’s how to do it.
How to Re-engage With Your Employees
1. Communicate With your Team
You’ll never uncover what’s behind this drop in morale without an open lane of communication. Make sure you frequently ask your team about their work, putting special emphasis on seeing that their needs are met. The solution might be simple, but you’ll never find it without asking.
2. Focus on Their Needs
Even though you might be concerned about how poor performance will affect your productivity, keep your conversation focused on a positive tone. Specifically, you should be asking your employees what they need to succeed, not why they’re falling behind.
3. Provide Resources
Effective communication includes action – if you don’t follow up, your employees will know you weren’t really listening. After you’ve figured out what an employee needs to regain their job satisfaction and productivity, invest time and resources into resolving the problem. A small investment now will prevent the larger cost of hiring and training a new worker.
4. Set Goals (and Work Together to Meet Them)
A major part of job satisfaction is seeing your hard work pay off, so don’t fall into the trap of taking it too easy on a struggling employee. Instead, make your expectations clear and lay out a plan of how to reach them. Under active management, a burnt out employee can rapidly regain their joy in their work, and you’ll soon see them return to their full potential.
Partner with Expert Staffing!
A talented, enthusiastic team is what will separate your business from the competition. At Expert Staffing, we specialize in crafting innovative staffing strategies that meet your company’s unique needs. For information about part-time, temporary, and permanent staffing solutions, contact us today.
