Page 351 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

338B RE-ENGAGE

employees may be in various stages of disengagement, from mild to
more serious, to actually leaving the organization. As one study indi-
cates, 71 percent of employees who had made up their minds to leave
the organization admitted that they gave less effort at work during the
weeks and months before they finally departed. 1
The good news is that many employees can be re-engaged with a
sincere and concerted effort on the manager’s part that begins with
the simple words: “I’ve noticed that you don’t seem as engaged or
enthusiastic as you were a few weeks ago, and I’m concerned about
that. You’re a valuable part of the team, and I’d like to know if there’s
anything I can do.” In some cases, this opening will lead to tough
conversations; a manager may need to apologize for not having been
available as a coach or mentor, or may have to uncomfortably confront
an employee’s poor performance. Chances are, a courageous conversa-
tion is all that stands in the way of re-engaging the disengaged.
Finally, we must keep in mind that employee loyalty is not what
it used to be, and perhaps it never has been. Hiring is not like getting
married—no vows are exchanged, and so they cannot be renewed. All
employees are strictly volunteers. If there is such a thing as loyalty, it
is something that happens day to day because we have made the com-
mitment as employers to provide each employee with an engaging
employment experience.