The 3 Types of (Dis)Engaged Employees: Which Type Are You?

While management and leadership agree on the fact that employees are one of the most important assets of an organisation, there is still much to be done about employee engagement in the office.

The harsh reality is that the majority of the workforce is simply not engaged in their work. They are either adding minimal value or actively working against the organisation.

In fact, only 15% of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report.

Engagement means that they are emotionally invested in committing their time, talent and energy in adding value to their team and advancing the organisation’s initiatives.

The report has even identified three types of employees in an organisation based on the (dis)engagement levels.

1. Engaged (15%). Engaged employees are enthusiastic about their work and feel that their talents are leveraged in their respective roles. Loyal and committed, these employees are happy to take responsibilities outside of their job description to excel further and show their leadership qualities. Engaged employees will remain with an organisation much longer than their disengaged counterparts.
2. Not Engaged (67%). The majority of employees are relatively satisfied with their job, performing the minimum requirements to meet the needs of the customers, but they are not as connected to the company’s overall mission and vision. According to Gartner, disengaged employees are both a threat and a great opportunity for any organisation since they can be converted into engaged
3. Actively Disengaged (18%). The employees who are actively disengaged from their work bring a constant negative and toxic attitude to the office. They are usually vocal about the things they do not like, and they might not represent the best team players. The worst is when these negative employees do have a respected role in the company which means influence over other members of the team.

Employee engagement has a direct impact on the productivity and profitability of any organisation. Disengaged employees represent serious problems that need to be addressed, costing organisations significant losses – for example, upwards of $550 billion a year in lost productivity in the United States alone, according to the research.

Leaders and managers should recognise the above as an opportunity to learn how to involve their staff, by defining, measuring and devising an action plan to improve the levels of engagement in the organisation.

Professional Sourcing is a top-tier South African-based recruitment agency operating internationally, IPM accredited, LEVEL 2 BEE RATED and 51% Black Owned.