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Americans are becoming increasingly unhappy at work. BambooHR’s recent report benchmarking employee happiness revealed that job satisfaction has declined at a rate 10 times faster than in the previous three years. Separately, Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report found that most of the world's employees are quiet quitting, exhibiting record-high stress levels, and more than half of employees are actively or passively job-seeking.
High inflation, widespread layoffs and a challenging job market are all factors that have led to the disillusionment of workers. The overhanging threat of jobs being automated or outsourced outside of the United States also weighs heavily. On top of economic uncertainty and job insecurity, several workplace and cultural trends likely feed into the disengagement, such as stringent return-to-office policies, little to no pay growth and a lack of work-life balance.
The convergence of financial turbulence, outdated management expectations and a lack of flexibility at work all contribute to declining employee satisfaction. The pandemic gave way to a reimagining of new possibilities for workers. As companies wrestle to adapt, it spotlights larger fundamental issues that have been present all along. Solving it will necessitate evolution in cultural mindsets, leadership approaches and organizational structures.
Employee engagement measures a worker’s drive, participation, motivation and commitment. Engagement is crucial to the success of the individual, business and customers.
If you are happy and invested in the company and know that you’re appreciated, people will notice. Customers and clients will sense that you care. Conversely, if you are dissatisfied and disgruntled, you’ll make everyone you interact with feel miserable.
Disengaged workers lack a real close connection to their jobs. They go through the motions. These employees participate in workplace trends such as quiet quitting, acting your wage and Bare Minimum Mondays. They’ll likely talk badly about a manager behind their back, gossip, spread rumors and treat customers and clients rudely. There’s no interest in participating in company events and outings. This toxic attitude is like a cancer growing, destroying everything around it.
It is up to company leadership to ensure that people are engaged. They need to make sure the employee feels comfortable, appreciated and happy, whether it's in the office or remotely. Leadership must outline a set of core values that instill a feeling of trust, respect, dignity, appreciation, flexibility and career growth.
Organizations must allow employees to take ownership of their roles to boost job satisfaction. Management should trust and offer staff the autonomy to execute their work in the most efficient and effective manner for the individual.
Supervisors should forget the old-school notion of face time and put a premium on productivity and output. The focus on tasks rather than hours means that any employee can organize their work hours and workplace in a way that supports them in delivering their best work.
Managers should keep in regular touch with their staff. They must be hypervigilant and trained to identify signs of burnout or other mental health issues.
Offer psychological safety. This means that it's okay to fail. If you make a mistake, you won’t be publicly lambasted by your boss.
It's essential to acknowledge wins—no matter how small—and show appreciation. When organizations gain the reputation of publicly recognizing and rewarding employees, it propels the company to the next level. Employees will feel invested, engaged and appreciated.
