Are Disengaged Employees Stealing From Your Organization?

When we work with leaders, we love to ask them, “How much can an employee steal from your organization before they get fired?” Almost always the leaders quickly respond by stating, “If an employee steals, they’re immediately fired.”The decision to terminate an employee who’s stealing is an easy one to make. However, the decision that’s not easy to make is what to do with a disengaged employee. They aren’t engaged, and when I say engaged, I mean committed with both their mind and their heart and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Meanwhile, disengaged employees aren’t fully committed to successfully fulfilling their job, and end up wasting company resources in the process. To put it bluntly, disengaged employees are indirectly stealing from the organization. And they’re stealing a lot. According to my research:

• Gallop estimates that the loss of productivity from actively disengaged employees costs the US economy $370 billion annually.
• Wright Management states that while 70% of engaged employees stated they have a good understanding of how to meet customer’s needs, only 17% of disengaged employees make the same claim.
• There’s a direct correlation between engagement and innovation. 59% of engaged employees state that their job brings out their most creative ideas. Only 3% of disengaged employees state their job brings out their most creative ideas. (Gallup)

I’ve found that most disengaged employees don’t actually realize the devastating impact they have on organizations. Although I’ve never asked a disengaged employee if they’re aware they’re indirectly stealing from their company, I know that most disengaged employees would consider that a stupid question and would adamantly state that they don’t steal.

While you probably won’t be able to fire your employees for being “disengaged,” there are strategies that you can utilize to help them become more engaged in their jobs. The following 8 tips will help leaders increase engagement and decrease stealing caused by disengaged employees.

1. Provide crystal clear goals and desired results: Only when employees are clear on the organization’s mission and vision, can they understand the role that their individual goals play in the organization’s success. Employees who feel ownership in their company’s success are more proactive and engaged.
2. Involve employees in the decisions that impact their work: Involving employees in change is always ideal. The challenge is that, even if they’re involved, some employees just won’t agree with the changes you’re discussing. Some may even go as far as to sabotage the change. As alarmist as that sounds, Gallop estimates that 18% of disengaged employees will actively work to undermine their co-workers’ success. Luckily, there are things that a leader can do to help build agreement about a change—more on that that later. But the bottom line is that, whether an employee agrees or disagrees with the change, employees still need to be clear on the goals and desired results.
3. Listen and agree: If given a choice, many leaders would prefer to avoid disengaged employees altogether. After all, disengaged employees can be so negative that they brighten up the whole office when they leave. But, when leaders take the time to listen, they show the employee that they do care about them and value their opinion. Now, this may seem strange, but it’s very important to agree with what the disengaged employee is telling you. This is because, almost always, a piece of what they’re telling you is true. For example, when the employee tells you the new software you’re proposing to implement will take more time than the old software, you can agree and add, “You’re right. Anytime we make a change to implement something new, it does always take longer in the beginning.” This accomplishes two important things: the employee will feel that they have a voice and you’ll have an opportunity to address their concerns.
4. Care: When people feel cared about personally and professionally, they find it much easier to be a part of the solution, rather than blaming others.
5. Ask the right questions: I love the expression, “You can tell a difficult person, but you can’t tell them much.” Rather than telling the disengaged employee, ask them the right questions. For example, if customers are complaining about the level of service your organization provides, you might ask, “If customers aren’t happy with the level of service we/you provide, what will happen?” And, “If enough customers defect to competitors, what impact will it have on our profitability and ability to pay our employees?”
6. Empower them to make decisions and take action: It’s important to acknowledge that disengaged employees hold tremendous power. Disengaged employees love to tell people that power corrupted their managers and supervisors. Alan Weiss states, “Power doesn’t corrupt. Powerlessness corrupts. People without power create artificial power, which is known as bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is the triumph on means over ends.” Disengaged employees love to blame others for their aversion to taking action.
7. Hold team members accountable: When accountability is strong on your team, and there are real consequences for not being accountable, disengaged employees find it a lot easier to exhibit the behaviors of engaged employees.
8. Recognize and reward: Great leaders get into the habit of recognizing great work daily. And, when it comes time to distribute rewards, people who are the most successful at achieving their goals and producing the most significant results, get the biggest rewards. When everyone gets the same reward, regardless of their level of performance, it tends to breed a larger number of disengaged employees.

To be engaged, (or not engaged) at work is a determination that only your employees can make. While you can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to actively engage all your employees, these strategies will clarify your intentions and make it easier for your team members to actively contribute, with both their minds and hearts.