Gallup reports that almost three of four workers describe themselves as disengaged. They produce only half the revenue of engaged employees. The costs of this "engagement gap" is not only lost revenue and opportunity, about $350 billion annually in the U.S., but also the burn-out of good employees who unfairly carry the burden of mediocre and poor performers.
The good news is that employers can create more employee engagement with a workplace culture that demands active learning and development. But learning cannot be optimized when employers are fearful of discharging poor performers.
Human resource managers play an important role in increasing engagement and productivity but not if they themselves are not active learners. Indeed, the real cost of poor performers is not only litigation, it is the drag on productivity year after year.
Programs for HR Managers include:
But even when employers can retain top employees and discharge poor employees, quality of work-life matters. Open communications, respect, positive attitude, teamwork and trust are critical to success. Unskilled or poorly trained supervisors undermine quality of work-life by perpetuating a negative environment that causes low morale and legal problems. Training supervisors to increase productivity and morale, as well as to avoid legal pitfalls, is an investment that pays big returns.
Programs and training for supervisors include: