HR professionals are increasingly asking themselves how to achieve greater employee engagement. Tips on what to do can be heard from all sides. Let's, however, try to look at the issue in the opposite way - what not to do. Graham White, HR Director of Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals published an interesting article on peoplemanagement.co.uk subtitled "8 steps to oblivion – a managers guide to staff disengagement". According to him, employees cannot be engaged when:
1. You don't have a clear vision
If your employees should remain disengagement, don't publish your vision for the future of your organization. When they ask, tell them that you have enough to worry about today to think about what will happen tomorrow.
2. Your line managers don't have the trust of your employees
Employees want and need managers who will be fair and honest and interested in their needs. You should, therefore, not allow managers to behave differently.
3. You don't develop relationships with other local employers
After all, your employees don't have to know how it looks elsewhere because it is the same everywhere as in your organization... Such a reasoning doesn't really lead to personal engagement.
4. You slander your colleagues and employees whenever possible
When you - even in private among your family and friends - spread negative information about your work and colleagues, you can hardly expect that none of them will learn it.
5. You discourage new employees from becoming more involved
When new people with new ideas come to you, you should not close their mouth. Don't tell them that they know nothing about about your organization and therefore should rather remain silent.
6. You are not able to show your enthusiasm for your organization and activities
If you want to demotivate everybody, don't laugh at work and don't do anything that might give the impression that you enjoy your work. When someone comes to you with enthusiasm for a new idea, tell him that it's a stupid one.
7. You don't help your community
If you care only for yourself, employees will soon realize that engagement is not expected of them.
8. Your employee handbook is full of prohibitions
People who choose to work for you should not see a long list of what not to do as the first thing - especially when you don't mention almost any benefits and positive things.
-kk-