How Lack of Employee Engagement is Costing You Time and Money

By Vicki Hess

If you're a leader, you're spending time and money on employee engagement whether you mean to or not. You are either doing it reactively or proactively.

In the reactive mode, you end up spending time with "Chain Gang Members" (my term for disengaged employees) listening to complaints or coaching for improvement again and again. When things continue to go downhill, you end up managing turnover and all of it's associated costs and headaches.

Think this isn't costing you money? Think again!

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, when a nurse whose annual compensation and benefits are $75,000 decides to leave the organization, the total cost is $41,000!

Still think you don't have time? Think again!

The other option is to proactively address employee engagement. Here's what that looks like.
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1. Stop talking about employee engagement for the organization. There's lots of data that proves that engagement is good for business; however, most employees aren't motivated by higher productivity, better quality and safety or decreased costs. People don't talk about employee engagement with their friends and family. It's a management buzzword that aggravates folks. It's often associated with everyone's favorite..."doing more with less".
2. Start talking about Professional Paradise™ for the employee. Professional Paradise isn't about winning a best place to work award or providing free lunch. It's an inside job where employees have beliefs and mindsets that drive positive actions and outcomes. The benefits of engagement for individuals are vast. When members of the team are satisfied, energized & productive, they experience better health, more energy and positive connections with others.
3. Stop making generalized connections with the team. "Great Job!" and "Thanks" shared at team meetings are a good start, but not enough. Many nurse managers have 50+ direct reports working multiple shifts 24/7. It's easy to get to know the team who works the same hours are you do and more challenging to get to know others.
4. Start making personalized connections. Having regular one-on-one meetings is one of the highest ROI activities a leader can do. Not sure what to do at the meeting or what to talk about? There are many free tools for that here. Rounding with staff is also time well spent. Be yourself and ask questions and really listen. You don't have to own all the solutions. Invite others to problem solve along side of you.
5. Stop dreading engagement. It's not so bad. Hopefully part of what makes you feel satisfied, energized & productive is helping your team grow and develop. When you think of engagement as "something extra" it can be overwhelming.
6. Start weaving the Engagement Thread™into your daily activities. Ask this question the next time you are making changes at work. "How will this (fill in the blank) impact our employee's ability to be satisfied, energized and productive?"When you proactively address the issues, you are more likely to increase engagement over time. Shared governance and lean daily management are great process tools to get input about beliefs and mindsets as well as actions and outcome.

Hopefully you're starting to feel motivated to make employee engagement part of the fabric of what you do as a leader.

​Because if you think you aren't spending time and money focusing on it...think again!

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