Do you have passive employees in your midst? Sometimes they’re obvious, the underachievers who switched to autopilot the moment the novelty of having a new job wore off. Others gradually evolve over time and could very well have even been one of your top talent before their performance plateaued. As a manager, it can be frustrating to watch employees disengage, after all a business is only as good as the sum of people who contribute to its success. If your employees are not cheerleading your company’s achievements, it’s eventually going to hurt the bottom line.
Instead of jumping to the blame game and pointing the finger at lacklustre employees, make sure to take a moment to review your management style. Sometimes all that is needed is a bit more attention given to employee needs to revive them from their slump. Let’s look at some practical ways you can reengage your team for a happier, more productive workplace.
Sure-fire ways to bring passive employees back from the dead!
Provide them with a sense of progression
Has your employee stagnated or has the work? Both are mutually reliant, so if there has been no progression with one then the other is going to suffer as well. Everyone needs a sense of purpose, it’s a part of the human condition, so setting career objectives can be beneficial. If an employee has been stuck in a rut with no new opportunities, no pay rise and no promotion on the horizon, you have to wonder where their motivation is coming from.
Giving your employees something to strive towards is a great way to help them know where to focus their energy. In practice, this could be by rewarding employees when they complete big projects or reach targets, or it could simply be by sharing company goals with them and thus making them feel like a part of the wider company vision rather than a small cog in the machine.
Make meetings matter
Meetings have a bad rap and yet “huddles” have a glorious reputation! If you’ve ever watched one of those heartfelt Hollywood sports movies you know exactly what we mean. The captain gathers the team, inspirational words are uttered, tears are shed and, guess what? They win the match against all the odds! Now, we’re not suggesting you turn your employees into an American football team, but there is something to be learnt here.
Short, snappy, to the point meetings that cover the goals of the immediate moment can be highly effective. It’s the long drawn out meetings that only happen once a quarter that trigger the eye rolls in the office. Instead, we suggest holding a 5-minute daily huddle with your team before the workday begins. Get everyone, passive employees included, to voice their goals and their challenges for the day ahead. It’s a great way to keep everyone actively engaged with their work as well as their team members.
Check in on their personal goals
Work is a big part of an individual’s day-to-day life and, from the employee’s perspective, this can mean one of two things depending on the work environment: 1) “Work gives me less time to achieve my personal goals” or 2) “Opportunities at work help me to achieve my personal goals”. Most modern companies choose to provide professional enrichment opportunities because it’s healthier for their staff and ultimately results in happier, more productive and engaged employees.
Have a one-to-one with passive employees and ask them if there are any skills they wish they could improve upon or if there are any opportunities they would like to have access to at work. You may be surprised at what they reveal and perhaps you won’t have an immediate solution, but this is a great first step that will make employees feel more valued and more than a bit intrigued as to what will come next!
Monitor their progress
Passive employees are the kings and queens of looking busy! They’ll typically focus in on the mundane details of tedious tasks rather than embrace the uncertainty of a new project. They’ve simply become set in their ways and too comfortable petering away the working hours in low energy mode. It’s time to bring them back up to speed with everyone else, but how?
Monitoring can sound like a negative approach, but it’s important to understand that we don’t mean micromanaging. Providing employees with short-term goals and regular feedback can keep employees focused on their work and maintain higher levels of productivity. Some employees work best when left to their own devices, but a passive employee is not necessarily one of them, so it’s best to keep communication open and regularly check-in.
With some attentive management, passive employees can be nurtured into top performers. On the other hand, a few new faces can be the perfect antidote to an idle workplace in need of some fresh perspectives. If you’re looking to inject new blood into your company, we can help.Get in contact with us today and we’ll connect the dots between you and your ideal candidates!
