Thursday, April 13, 2006

Disengaged Employees Don't Care

You can bet that quarterback Kyle Orton cared deeply about his team and was committed to winning when he lead the Chicago Bears to eight consecutive victories last year. You know he was motivated when he won 10 games as a starter in his first NFL season. The team rewarded his motivation by bumping him to the position of third string quarterback. Orton was benched last year in the middle of a game, because the team was "struggling." It'll be interesting to see if he continues to care enough to do his best for the team--that is, if he ever gets a chance to play again.

Now I'm no expert on football but I was struck by how similar Kyle Orton's situation is to loyal employees who have worked hard for a company for years, only to be bumped when a new "star" is hired. They look on from the sidelines and feel unappreciated for their loyalty to the company. There are many employees who show up on time every day, treat their co-workers with respect and deliver quality work, only to be taken for granted by their managers.

The Gallup Organization, famous for it's research, estimates that 70 percent of employees are "disengaged," meaning they're no longer committed to the company. It's evident in positions from executive officers to front-line employees. This "I don't care attitude" is hurting businesses in a big way. What's going on? Why all the apathy? It could be that the wrong employees are being rewarded.

Most organizations want to blame employee apathy on wages and benefits, but they actually do not play a big role in why people stop caring about their jobs. The overwhelming majority of employees stop caring because of the way they are treated every day. Surveys show that lack of appreciation, lack of teamwork and the perception that the company doesn't care about loyal employees are consistently the highest-ranked reasons for low job satisfaction.

Many managers are nice people who manage by negative reinforcement--demonstrated not by what they do but, rather, by what they don't do. Chances are, these same managers are focusing their energy and attention on those employees with behavioral problems. If loyal employees aren't recognized and appreciated for their contributions, they'll be far less motivated to care about the success of the company. Sometimes, even the best employees will go through rough spots but will bounce back with more energy and loyalty when the company stands behind them with clearly defined expectations, quality training and positive feedback.

Gallup estimates that actively disengaged workers in the United States miss 118.3 million more work days per year than their actively engaged counterparts. Harder to measure are their higher healthcare, workers’ compensation, and safety costs.

But disengaged employees who show up and simply go through the motions of work cause the biggest problem. It's reflected in everything they don’t do and their constant complaints. It’s the negative effect their attitudes have on their co-workers and customers. This problem has become so common as to create a new word, "presenteeism."

Gallup found that the cumulative effect of disengaged employees consistently reduces customer loyalty, sales and profit margins. An "I don't care" attitude by employees translates to an "I don't care to do business with you" attitude by customers.

You can learn how attitude affects your personal and career success in Special Report #10 How to Pave Your Road to Success With a Positive Attitude