When employee performance and engagement are declining, company leaders must reflect on how their organization is providing team members with the support and motivation they need to do their best work.

Here are important stats to keep in mind:

• 91% of employees say unmanaged stress and frustration in the workplace negatively affect the quality of their work.
• Employees are 3x more engaged when they receive daily feedback from their managers vs. annual feedback.
• 94% of employees believe they would stay with a firm for a longer period if they were involved in their learning and development.  

Getting a better understanding of your employees’ challenges is the best way to build high-performing teams. To help you start the conversation with your team members, Perfeqta outlined 3 reasons why your employees are disengaged, and what you can do to improve trust, motivation, and productivity within your organization.

Your employees are burned out due to unmanaged stress.

Inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and keeping up with the daily news can cause stress to anyone. Add on a heavy workload and it’s no surprise that your employees may be struggling just to get their day started.

91% of employees say unmanaged stress and frustration in the workplace negatively affect the quality of their work. This burnout can stem from unrealistic due dates, unclear expectations, and a lack of control over employees’ career trajectories.

Here’s how managers can help employees manage their stress this time of year:

• Encourage team members to track their time.
• Keep weekly 1:1 meetings on the schedule. Reschedule if necessary, but avoid canceling them completely.
• Avoid sending messages during non-work hours.
• Make PTO mandatory for a certain number of days per quarter.
• Ask them how the organization can better support their mental health, and take action based on their feedback.

If you can help your team members set and maintain boundaries, they will see that their company leaders value their well-being.

Your employees aren’t receiving regular feedback from their managers.

All team members need effective and consistent feedback. This helps make sure they understand your expectations of them and whether or not they’re meeting those expectations.  

Employees are 3x more engaged when they receive daily feedback from their managers vs. annual feedback. If you recognize an employee has room for improvement, why wait until their annual performance review to tell them?

Feedback doesn’t have to be an hour-long meeting. It can be an email, Slack or Teams message, or a shoutout during a team meeting. And if the feedback isn’t positive, here’s what to keep in mind:

• Start the conversation by recognizing an accomplishment.
• Be clear and concise. Explain how an employee’s performance is impacting other areas of the business, and how applying your feedback could help their performance.
• Talk through individual and company goals, and find a solution together. Be sure to give your team members space to share feedback on your performance as well.

Your employees aren’t having conversations with their managers about their career growth.

Not every conversation between a team member and their manager should be about performance and workloads. 94% of employees believe they would stay with a company longer if they were involved in their learning and development. Talking about career goals and creating a professional development plan helps build trust and improve retention.

Here are a few questions you can ask when talking to your team members about their career goals:

• Do you feel like you’re using your strengths in your current role? Are there other skills you’d like to use or improve on?
• What part of your job do you enjoy the most? What do you enjoy the least?
• How do you see yourself growing within the company? Are there any projects or responsibilities you’d like to take on?

These ongoing conversations allow you and your team members to set actionable goals that help them scale impact in their role and at the organization.

Learn more about building a supportive, engaging, and inclusive company culture.

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