How Does Low Engagement Reduce Productivity

Disengaged employees are most often considered to be a problem for organizational leaders that hinders the achievement of goals. However, in reality, it is also much more difficult for an employee to develop professionally and perform work duties effectively if he does not feel engaged in his work. One engaged employee can contribute much more to the efficiency of an organization than ten disengaged employees.

What does it mean to be engaged at work?

There is no single definition of employee engagement and it covers different aspects of work. However, it can be briefly described as follows: if an employee feels engaged in the work, he is actively looking for the best solutions that would help the company to approach its goals. This means that the employee tries to see in each of his tasks the meaning of how his activities will help the whole organization, and looks for ways to do things more effectively (for example, improving their well-being, learning new skills, asking colleagues and managers for feedback, collaborating), in other words, engaging.

If we are not engaged in work, we do not use our full potential and available resources. Read more: How Productivity is Related to Internal Satisfaction and Evaluation.

Here are some examples of how low levels of engagement can negatively impact our productivity:

The place where you work is not personalized

Studies have shown that a personalized work desk and environment increase employee motivation and create a pleasant work atmosphere. Employees feel a sense of belonging when they can adapt their work area to their personality. Otherwise, work may be associated with making money, not positive emotions.

Task! Think of things that make you feel calm and motivated! Come up with creative ways to incorporate a variety of images that inspire you and personalize your work environment! The desk will become a source of inspiration on longer days and more difficult tasks. A good way to motivate yourself is to write down the immediate goals to be achieved at work and place them in a visible place.

You don’t know the names and personal facts of colleagues

One of the main benefits of meeting your colleagues is friendship. A team that works well together will be more productive and, by getting to know each other, will be able to divide their work more efficiently according to who is best suited to the task. If the workplace is competitive and based on individualism empathy, socialization, and kindness will be lost.

Task! Go for lunch with colleagues! Common eating practices are a very old ritual that forms a social relationship, and this also applies to the workplace. A study published in 2015 in the journal Human Performance claims that lunch with colleagues improves employee performance. Indeed, employees who spend time having lunch together speak more spontaneously and in a more mundane way. The exchange of information promotes a better understanding of a colleague’s personality and ways of responding, thus facilitating communication in the work environment as well.

You are not focusing on your strong skills

Both positive and negative feedback can increase work productivity. However, too much focus on your weak points can be detrimental to the result and quality of the work. It is important to remember this for every employee, even when thinking about self-criticism. Whereas supervisors should keep in mind that the number of praises at work should be at least twice as many as the criticisms. When there is more criticism than praise, there is a focus on the negative, and work can only be associated with bad things in the long run.

Task! Accept your failures and shortcomings as they are now while committing to improving them! Our minds can be our best property or our worst enemy. Our private internal dialogue can be a strong starting point or a major obstacle to achieving our goals. Plus, if something fails, you can always try something else!

There is no clear understanding of your role in the company

The success of a company depends to a large extent on how employees understand and agree on their individual responsibilities, but even more so on the employee’s willingness to understand their role. When the focus is solely on our personal good, we tend to forget how to use our role to succeed. When we clearly know our “role” in the company, we as employees are more invaluable than if we simply come, do our work, and go home.

Task! You should have clarity about what is expected of you. Think about what is necessary (but not at your disposal) for you to be effective in your job responsibilities, and do not be afraid to discuss it with your supervisor!

You don’t participate in company training programs

Many employees consider the idea of spending a working day in training to be undesirable due to the delayed work that will await them upon return. However, employees who are given the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills ultimately perform better. Investing in education is an investment in employee success. Researchers have found that employees with the widest level of education are best able to predict different trends. Knowledge is power!

Task! Next time your organization offers to participate in a seminar, be sure to give it a try! In addition, at the end of the study, write down what you have learned and how this knowledge could help you in your job responsibilities.

You don’t celebrate your progress and small achievements

One of the most important aspects that can be called a successful workday is moving forward, approaching the goal. Both the company as a whole and you always need to be proud of your biggest and bravest achievements, as well as celebrate small victories on the way to the big goal!

We tend to forget to celebrate small victories for variety of reasons:

we are often so focused on perfection that we cannot rejoice in what we have done;
we are worried about distraction or wasting time;
we do not consider it important;
we assume that we already have enough motivation to keep going;
we think celebrating success is a fictional or artificial inspiration.

Task! What achievements are you proud of at work? Introduce a new habit – celebrate small victories! Often we are afraid to celebrate prematurely or to lose the ability to concentrate on a great goal, but self-recognition and proper self-esteem are very important.

As you can see, the level of employee engagement is determined by many factors, so we need to address it holistically – in all its aspects. Try an employee engagement platform in your company that allows teams to become engaged in their work responsibilities through virtual challenges and gamification. More info: www.efectio.com