Written by Daniel Messinger, Consulting Associate
$8.9 trillion. That’s an estimate of how much the global economy lost in 2023 due to disengaged employees. Gallup has labeled this crisis “The Great Detachment” – a trend marked by declining productivity, higher turnover, and a toxic workplace culture. This frequently leads to employee disengagement, a state of low motivation characterized by minimal mental and physical energy, as well as an overall lack of interest in one’s work. Disengaged employees may complete their core tasks but rarely go beyond their job descriptions. They’re less likely to collaborate, show enthusiasm, or take initiative in the workplace. Whereas, engaged employees are more productive, positive, and committed to their organizations. In fact, high employee engagement can boost productivity by up to 18% and reduce turnover by as much as 43%, depending on the organization.
Yet, employee disengagement remains a hidden but costly issue for companies – and it’s getting worse. In the US, the percentage of highly disengaged employees has risen from 13% in 2019 to 16% in 2023. The cost of inaction is growing, making the need to prioritize employee engagement more critical than ever.
What are some reasons for employee disengagement?
One reason for a rise in individuals feeling disengaged at work is a weakening job market. As employees have fewer job options, they may feel trapped in jobs they don’t prefer, leading to disengagement in the workplace. When employees feel stuck, their motivation, productivity, and overall job satisfaction can decline. Lack of career growth opportunities, limited recognition, and misalignment with company values can further contribute to employee disengagement, making it crucial for employers to foster a supportive and engaging work environment. This shift in workplace dynamics has led to “The Great Detachment,” where employees remain in their roles but feel disconnected from their work.
What is “The Great Detachment?”
The once feared “Great Resignation” has quickly turned into “The Great Detachment” as the job market has become more competitive. While reduced turnover is beneficial for companies, it can also lead to disengagement at work among employees who feel stuck in their roles. Although companies don’t have control over the economy, they must take proactive steps to address employee disengagement and re-engage their workforce by fostering a strong company culture, providing career development opportunities, and ensuring that employees feel valued and connected to the work they are doing.
How to motivate disengaged employees
Motivating a disengaged employee starts with a supportive work environment that allows them to see the purpose behind their work while simultaneously building strong connections within their team. Additionally, transparent and frequent communication coupled with a healthy company culture will ensure that employees remain invested in their work and progressing the organization forward.
3 ways to combat employee disengagement
1. Provide organizational support
When employees feel supported by their organization, they are less likely to feel disengaged at work. People naturally want to help others who treat them well and this applies to companies, too. This is called the reciprocity principle. If companies treat their employees well, those employees will naturally want to return the favor.
On the flip side, if companies treat their employees poorly, those employees may not feel like they owe anything to the company. This is important because engagement is all about feeling energized by one’s organization and wanting to contribute to organizational goals. As a result, organizational support plays a huge role in preventing employee disengagement. It can boost employee motivation and help fuel positivity about the company and the work that they do.
Unfortunately, improving organizational support is easier said than done – it is multi-faceted and is influenced by so many different things. As a result, company leaders must be committed to this idea and actively foster a supportive work environment by:
- Investing in employee development solutions
- Listening to feedback
- Providing clear expectations
- Showing appreciation for good work
Although these recommendations take time and effort, properly supporting employees is a non-negotiable when it comes to reducing disengagement at work.
2. Ensure employees can see the vision
Another way to reduce employee disengagement is by connecting them to the mission and vision of the organization. It is hard for employees to stay engaged with their work when they don’t see the point of it all. People want to feel like their work means something and their tasks have purpose. It’s important for employees to understand that they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Why would someone feel motivated and energized at work when they don’t see the value of their contributions?
According to Gallup, only 30% of employees strongly agree that the mission of their company makes their job important. This is in contrast to 38% of employees who felt this way at the start of the pandemic. It’s more important than ever for leaders to highlight the importance of the work their employees do, as well as show them how their individual efforts contribute to the overall goals of the company. Disengagement at work is lowest when leaders can effectively facilitate this connection.
3. Create a climate of connectedness
On the other hand, engaging employees is not just about feeling connected to the mission of the company. People need to feel connected to their coworkers, too.8 Loneliness is a breeding ground for employee disengagement at work. This is because as humans, we naturally feel more engaged when we are connected to others, and in this case, to our work teams.
Strong relationships with coworkers help people feel more energized and interested in the work they do. Great teams inspire others to go above and beyond by helping them feel comfortable and a sense of togetherness. When you feel like you’re a part of a team, you’re invested in the team’s overall success, not just your own. Plus, if you work on a team that has your back, you want to show them that you have their back as well. Remember the reciprocity principle? In the end, strong relationships help keep energy levels high and the number of employees feeling disengaged at work low.
Employee disengagement and remote work
While remote work arrangements can provide a host of benefits, they can pose an additional challenge when it comes to employee disengagement. In remote settings, it’s often more difficult to show support, help employees see the company vision, and build a sense of camaraderie. For example, employees who work fully remote are more likely to experience loneliness versus those working in an office.
If remote work has led employees to feel less organizational support and more disconnection, this can be a contributing factor to a rise in employee disengagement. However, it is possible to foster high levels of engagement in remote or hybrid work settings and the same methods for motivating disengaged employees discussed above can be applied. Remote employees can feel just as supported, see the vision of the company as clearly, and have similarly strong connections with coworkers as employees working in an office. However, it requires even more effort and intentionality than in-person settings. A proactive approach is always important, but this is especially true in remote environments.
Preventing employees from feeling disengaged at work
In recent years, employee disengagement has become more prevalent as jobs become harder to find and individuals tend to stay put in their roles – regardless of their enthusiasm for the job. This can have a particularly damaging effect on the business if productivity and collaboration within your workforcestart to decline. Company leaders must take these threats seriously if they want to minimize the risk of employee disengagement and the subsequent “Great Detachment.” Doing so will give the organization a leg up as they are likely to see lower turnover rates and a more productive workforce that’s invested in the organization’s success as a whole.
About the author: Daniel Messinger, M.A. provides client support and assists consultants with client deliverables. He plays a key role in project management and implementation of screening assessments. Daniel often assists with data collection and reporting, project planning, job analysis, validation, and assessment implementation and monitoring.
