The annual Gallup State of the Workplace report was out last week and as ever it gives us a fascinating snapshot into the thoughts and feelings of employees across the world.
Globally engagement levels are up from 21% in 2021 to 23%. This is a great move in the right direction, especially given that lack of engagement is reckoned to cost the global economy $8.8tn annually.
The worry for Europe is that this figure is a disturbing 13%. That means that the majority of our employees are either actively or passively disengaged from their working life.
We know that disengagement leads to low morale, low productivity, an increase in mental ill-health, and ultimately reduced profitability for our organisations.
As managers and leaders, the responsibility is on us to turn this around. Direct line managers have the biggest impact on an individual’s experience of work. When they have a positive and trusting relationship this leads to a significant increase in engagement and job satisfaction.
Sometimes managers don’t have the skills or confidence to begin to build damaged or poor relationships and the increase in remote and hybrid working has made this even more difficult for many accidental managers.
Three simple steps to begin to build stronger relationships and deeper trust are:
1. Make sure you speak to each member of your team at least every week. Don’t just talk about work, ask questions to help you get to know them on a personal level and show genuine curiosity about their life.
2. Every week ask them what went really well for them and congratulate them on their success. Share this with the wider team and beyond if it’s appropriate and make sure that their contributions are recognised.
3. Check that they have everything they need in order to achieve their aims and targets. If they need additional support, provide it where you can or help them to discover where they could find it. Hello
Deepening those relationships and building trust helps you to work with your teams to increase engagement. In turn, this reduces stress and helps create environments where people can thrive.
For support to build the skills and confidence of your managers contact helen@people-spark.co.uk or visit https://people-spark.co.uk/customised-training-solutions/