Well functioning workplaces have one thing in common: highly engaged staff. When health care professionals are passionate about their duties and delivering quality care, productivity soars alongside morale.
Employee disengagement, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. It deflates staff morale, interrupts routines, lowers productivity and risks influencing the work habits of the whole team. Ultimately, disengagement leads to increased turnover and higher-than-usual costs for hiring and onboarding.
To help employees be their best selves and maintain the high quality care they bring to health care, senior living and child care facilities, it’s crucial to identify disengaged employees, address their needs and remedy the situation before it gets serious. The problem is, many employees still get their work done though they may be losing their drive. So how can they be identified?
Typical shifts in work patterns, along with subtle shifts in attitude and behaviour, signal growing disengagement. These are the signs to watch for on a daily basis, or if you suspect a particular employee of losing their passion.
1) Decrease in Productivity and Lower Quality of Care
Less output. Missed deadlines. Safety incidents. Doing the minimum to get by. These signs of low productivity or degraded work performance could mean an employee is disengaged. If a healthcare professional has been taking on too much for too long, their exhaustion might manifest as mediocre or poor work performance. Find out if these problems are caused by external pressures, stress or burnout and try to remedy the situation through scheduling changes or increased support. Whatever the cause, it’s important to act fast when an employee starts exhibiting lower work standards – to prevent them from influencing the practices of the wider team.
2) Break in Routine
An employee who usually meets deadlines now lets them slip. A staff member you could always call on for help or guidance is now consistently unavailable. If you used to rely on someone and have noticed a change in the way they do things, it’s time to check in.
3) Absenteeism
When employees start to disregard work schedules and take liberties with start times, break times, and lunch times, it’s a sign they’d rather not be there. The next stage is taking more sick days, or not showing up for work at all. Managing absenteeism is a big challenge for health and child care facilities, so it’s always advisable to check in with staff who start to frequently miss work. It could mean they’re burning out and need a break to regain their energy, morale, and motivation.
4) Withdrawal and Distraction
Not all employees participate in activities with colleagues outside of work or spend time with each other during lunch and breaks. However, if a formerly social and team-oriented employee starts to pull away and isolate themselves, it’s time to start a dialogue. It could be the result of a personality conflict, but disengagement is often the root cause.
Similarly, an employee is making less eye contact or spending more time looking at their phones, it could be a sign their mind is somewhere else. Pay attention to subtle changes in demeanor and behaviour, as they can suggest disengagement.
5) Becoming Less Communicative
It might seem contradictory, but employees who openly express their dissatisfaction are often not the ones who are disengaged. Addressing problems openly and making complaints shows passion, a desire to improve things and the conviction that it’s possible. When normally outspoken health and child care professionals stop communicating, however, it could be a sign they’re disengaged.
This change in communication could take many forms. A staff member might not bother responding to email, they might stop asking questions to make sure they’re on track, or they may stop speaking at staff meetings. Schedule a one-on-one to restore the connection and learn what drives them and organize team activities to build relationships and keep lines of communication open.
6) Negative Attitude
At the same time, speaking out can indicate growing dissatisfaction. If a staff member becomes a consistent naysayer, they may be exhibiting a cynicism that is typical of disengagement. It could manifest as rudeness or curtness with colleagues and clients.
In general, employee attitudes are an excellent gauge of how you’re doing as an employer. If team members express their contentment, it usually means they feel rewarded, supported and challenged. A shift in attitude could signal the need to adjust your treatment of employees.
7) Apathy and Complacency
When an employee suddenly loses their appetite for responsibility, refuses to take on new challenges or turns down new roles, they’re performing their job by rote. Find out whether there’s a workload issue you can address, whether a more suitable challenge or role will inspire them, or whether they’re genuinely disengaged.
Disengagement can also manifest as complacency, a feeling of not caring what happens, not caring about consequences, and a sense of just accepting the situation. Engaged employees are always looking for ways to make things better, so showing indifference could be a sign of decreasing passion.
Staff engagement is critical to the quality of care in health and child care facilities. Once you recognize the signs of disengagement, you’re empowered to change the situation.
For more insights on keeping employees engaged, read about how to engage employees during a pandemic.
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