Are your employees counting down to 5:00 p.m.?
Only 21% of employees agree that their performance is managed in a way that inspires them to do outstanding work. Even if you employ standard management practices, you may be part of the majority that isn’t effectively managing and communicating with their employees. Even offices with perks like ping pong tables, massages and gyms may find they aren’t doing enough to keep good employees satisfied with their jobs. A shallow talent pool with lots of other job opportunities means the 79% who feel uninspired at work have many alternate options.
According to Gallup’s State of the American Workforce report, there are three major causes for apathy and lack of motivation in the workplace:
- Unclear and misaligned expectations.
- Ineffective and infrequent feedback.
- Unfair evaluation practices and misplaced accountability.
Unclear or ineffective communication is a huge catalyst for these issues. Only 6 in 10 employees feel they understand what is expected of them at work. And, 40% of the workforce is confused about the jobs they supposedly perform every single day.
Solving communication issues in the workplace is a marathon, not a sprint. The finish line lies in the balance between cultivating frequent, purposeful dialogue and avoiding micro managing.
Companies often use traditional management strategies to track employee performance, but they don’t necessarily consider if the employee has the information they need to meet company goals. One example is the dreaded performance review, a practice ingrained in corporate culture with good intentions. Unfortunately reviews often fail to provide enough information and clarity to impact an employee’s performance on a daily basis. The good news is that being aware of how to address lack of motivation in the workplace is the first step toward improvement!
Suggestions for encouraging employee engagement through management:
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- Be the mentor you wish you had. Encourage and coach employees on how to be successful every day, not just during Annual Performance Review season. Work to create an environment where employees are comfortable enough to ask clarifying questions and volunteer ideas.
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- Establish expectations. Start with defining a position description that reflects the employee’s actual work.
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- Involve employees in setting performance goals. It’s much easier to motivate people to meet goals they had a hand in creating, and they will develop a much better understanding of what is expected of them.
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- Rather than “managing” employee performance, focus on “developing” employee performance.
Companies who are successful in retaining highly engaged employees communicate effectively, leading to achievement of corporate and individual goals.
Talencio has been the preferred provider of vetted, accomplished professionals to the health technology community for over nine years. To learn more about how other companies have partnered with us and tapped into our skilled professional talent pool, contact us at 612.703.4236 or email.