Employee engagement has been on the skids this year as organizations pile more expectations on reduced staffs in a lagging economic recovery.
A new Gallup Poll found 71 per cent of U.S. workers are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their work. A recent survey by human resources consultancy Randstad found nearly 60 per cent of North American respondents are likely to seriously consider a new job in the next six months or would take another job, if offered.
Researchers Mark Royal and Tom Agnew of leadership coaching company The Hay Group say it’s not that all these workers have turned off their motivation to work, rather that they’re frustrated by not getting enough authority and resources to do their jobs effectively.
The authors are speaking across Canada at a series of events sponsored by the Canadian Management Centre. In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Mr. Royal, co-author of The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration and Get the Most from Your Employees, explained how leaders can get workers connected again.
Why is engagement such a pressing issue now?
As the pace of change has picked up in organizations, it’s become more difficult for managers and leaders to specify precisely what employees should be doing day to day. While that means employees need to take more initiative to get to the right answers on their own, many don’t feel they have the authority or are hesitant to step up because they are unsure of the objectives. Meanwhile, organizations have been challenged by the economy to get the most they can out of each employee.
For those reasons, even organizations that have been focused on engagement for a long time are still struggling with performance issues. We hear that from employers as well as in the opinion surveys we do of over a million employees a year in companies.
We characterize the issue as workplace frustration. All too many motivated people – who still have a desire to contribute and accomplish what they recognize as important – are feeling held back in some ways. That’s important, because it’s generally thought of as disengagement, which conjures up notions of people who are dissatisfied, disaffected and turned off. But this frustration is in otherwise motivated employees.
How many people are in that category?
The book stems from experiences we’ve had with over 100 large organizations that The Hay Group has had as clients. Our research suggests that 20 per cent or more of employees who are high achievers and want to do their best for the organization feel held back by having roles that don’t suit them or working in environments that don’t support them.
To unleash the potential of these employees, managers need to make sure people are in roles that allow them to do their best as often as possible. As well, they need to review people’s individual motivations and whether employees believe they have what they need to be effective and leverage their motivation. Those needs are not only financial resources but also information, tools, collaborative support from co-workers and an organization that doesn’t throw up procedural barriers and impede action with red tape.
How does this frustration show up and how can good leaders diagnose it?
In the feedback we get in satisfaction surveys, all too many employees are saying, “You need to help me help you.” They’ve bought into what the organization is trying to achieve and they feel it’s a good company and they want to contribute, “but.” What generally follows that “but” is that they don’t understand why they don’t have authority to make decisions, there’s too much red tape, they don’t have the resources they need and, “boy, it’s tough to get things done in this organization.”
That motivation they have will erode very quickly if organizations don’t deal with those frustrations. Yes, there are some who out of sheer frustration manage to find ways to problem solve their way around the difficulties, but even those who have to continually fight to succeed eventually turn off and disengage. And still others – often very energetic high performers – start to focus on moving to a greener pasture because they feel they can’t be successful where they are.
