cover feature
DISENGAGEMENT
off engagement, and focus instead on disengagement.
There’s merit, after all, in
understanding what’s going wrong, where
organizations are losing people, how to
spot the signs and how to turn it around.
LISTEN TO THE WARNING SIGNS
Sometimes, spotting an actively disengaged
employee is a plain-as-day exercise.
“You might see outbursts from someone
who doesn’t normally behave in that
way,” said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, a
Halifax-based HR manager who’s worked
in both the private and public sectors.
“When people start to go down that route,
it should be fairly obvious if it’s out of
character for them.”
Sometimes, it’s a little less obvious.
“You might see negativity, notice
someone not asking questions or showing
a lack of interest, maybe gossiping
more or just exhibiting a general bad
attitude; those are indicators,” said
Hotton-MacDonald.
In other cases, disengaged employees
might keep their feelings under wraps.
“Disengagement is not always obvious
and many times, executives and managers
don’t have a real feel for engagement
levels,” said Doug Brown, president of
Engaged2Perform in Wellesley, Ont.
“Often, people stay below the radar; they
learn how to perform so their disengagement
won’t be noticed.”
A manager might note that a formerly
productive employee is now doing the bare
minimum and just skating by.
“Or they might notice an increase in
absenteeism, although the worst part of
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ 21