How managers can turn the tide on workplace disengagement

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With the research revealing that workplace engagement levels are critically low in South Africa right now, we look at management tips that could just overturn this trend – if efficiently, empathetically, and consistently applied. By Vanessa Rogers on behalf of BossJansen Executive Search and Executive Placements.

A recent analysis of what currently motivates South African employees, carried out this year by the JVR Africa Group, reveals three key concepts: money (fair remuneration, plus additional financial reward for their work performance); power (such as having a degree of control over their career pipeline, and being able to use their entrepreneurial and creative skills where possible in a permanent position); and Ubuntu (the treatment of diversity with respect and appreciation, and the calling to help out those in the surrounding community).

However, looking at the challenges that abound in South African society – from the rising cost of living, to transport-related unrest, and extensive social inequality – it is not a surprise that even those in mid-level jobs in South Africa experience some degree of discontent and disengagement about the work they do, the company they work for, and/or their ability to make decisions concerning their future career path.

The reality, according to workplace consulting and global research firm Gallup, is that only 32 percent of workers globally are engaged at work – the Recruiter describes these highly desirable individuals as working passionately, having a profound connection towards their workplace, driving innovation, and generally helping to move their organisations forward.

Of the 68 percent remaining, 50 percent are present, but have psychologically disengaged themselves from their work (i.e. they’re sleep-walking through the day, and putting neither energy nor passion into their tasks); and 18 percent are disengaged to the extent where they’ve begun to act out their unhappiness, say by undermining the work and even mental state of those around them.

In South Africa, where Gallup research shows that a mere nine percent of employees are actively engaged – workplace productivity can feel akin to a rowing event where one person on your team is actively fighting the waters with his or her oar, five occasionally dangle an oar in the water to little effect, and four team members appear to be rowing in completely the wrong direction. But all is not lost: there’s a significant amount that managers across workplace levels and industry sectors can do to turn this tide.

Here are five steps geared towards helping our managers with the important matter of enhancing staff member and collective team engagement, after they’ve gained a clear understanding of their specific firm’s strategic direction:

• Secure the right talent for each role
Whether you’re hiring a much sought-after individual from a jobs board, or working closing with an executive search firm to locate this individual and reel them in, all talent acquisition and retention goals should ideally be geared towards helping meet your firm’s main aims; with no talent going to waste by placing a skilled individual in a job that isn’t a good fit. 

• Be generous with meetings and feedback
Informal check ins, say once a week if time allows, are of great value to today’s workforce
executive search firms have found, because they allow pressing queries to be answered, direction to be recalibrated (if this is necessary), and time and manpower to be utilised to best effect. Providing regular feedback is a more effective feather in your managerial cap, than the efficiency with which you carry out those bi-annual reviews.

• Offer regular training and developmental opportunities
This ties into the need for each worker within a job in South Africa to feel a sense of power over their career trajectory. Training courses, mentorship opportunities, and networking events all build trust in your team members, show your belief in them, and reveal to them that you feel they’re very much worth the investment.

• Commission out work with meaning
If you hire a team with the mission-critical skills that your corporate board demands, and place each person in a role where they can use their hard-earned experience and skills for the greater good, engagement levels generally soar. You risk losing key talent if you don’t set individuals to work in a manner that floats their boats, so clear and transparent communication is always going to be a win-win.

• Emphasise the importance of engagement
Avoid leaving your team members in the dark as to the reasons you require all hand on deck in the “engagement department”. Share the research with them: such as the fact that a high degree of employee engagement will lead to a higher performing workforce overall, and could increase company profits by as much as 21 percent.

Here, we return to the three main factors motivating the South African employee of today: money, power, and Ubuntu. Employee engagement drives greater financial returns for a company, meaning more can be done to help each staff member meet their specific career goals, and significantly more can be achieved for those in need within the surrounding community.

The approach of our managers remains the central cog in this entire equation.

Sources:

BizNews

GoHighLevel