As organizations shuffle or downsize,
constantly shifting ground can wear away
engagement levels, too.
“There are a lot of changes in our
workplaces, and a great deal of change
management that probably should be
happening does not happen,” said
Hotton-MacDonald. “People are introducing
new processes, new technologies or
changing policies, but they’re not spending
enough time thinking about the impact
this will have on people. For some, it’s just
one change after another and they still
haven’t adapted to the first change.”
TURNING IT AROUND
Once problems are diagnosed, managers
and HR professionals can attempt to resolve
them.
Sometimes, a major problem can be resolved
with relatively simple actions.
“Making small but important changes
in an employee’s job so their needs can
be better met can make all the difference,”
said Brown.
If troubles can be traced back to a manager
with a lack of leadership skills, for
example, HR can provide avenues of
support.
“We in HR need to focus more on supporting
our leaders and helping them
become better managers,” said Hotton-
MacDonald. “We’ve tried Band-Aid
solutions. We’ve tried training programs
like ‘How to be a great supervisor!’ But
what if people need more than a training
program? What if they need ongoing
coaching? Our role in HR is to make sure
the organization is successful in terms of
managing people, but also to work with
supervisors and managers to help them be
the best people managers they can be.”
If a challenge is complex or likely to
spark some heated conversations, HR can
play a valuable role.
“That’s where HR can really help, by
getting people talking in a safe space,” said
Hotton-MacDonald. “It’s about having an
honest conversation and saying, ‘Here’s
what we observe. This is what we’re feeling.
What do you think?’”
KEEP BRIDGES FROM BURNING
When, despite reasonable efforts, a disengaged
employee can’t be brought back into
the fold, it may be time for a very candid
conversation, as a starting point for next
steps.
“That’s when you need to have the employee’s
leader sit down with them and say,
‘Hey, we know you don’t want to be here
anymore,’” said Sterling. “Often, the employee
will feel relief that they can open
up about the situation, and then the manager
and HR can look for a graceful exit
strategy.”
Of course, it’s always wise to consult
with legal experts when considering
terminating employees, but any route
can be made more positive with the right
approach.
“We want people’s experiences leaving
our organization to be as delightful as
when they came in, whenever that’s possible,”
said Sterling. “At Ceridian, we always
make sure employees have an opportunity
to exit under their own volition, and in
some instances we work out a gracious severance
package. We want to make sure it’s
a good experience for everyone, since that
person is now an alumnus of the company.”
EQUAL WEIGHT TO
DISENGAGEMENT
Organizations, though, can reduce the
need for such exits by being proactive
about driving engagement and resolving
disengagement early.
“I think as HR professionals, we need to
be consultative in helping leaders understand
what’s really driving engagement and
disengagement and help them know what
action to take to turn the ship and make it
right for their people,” said Sterling.
Like engagement, disengagement has
the potential to significantly impact corporate
health.
“We focus so heavily on the engagement
side and we don’t spend enough
time really looking at the disengagement
piece – and it really is just as important,”
said Sterling. ■
cover feature
“DISENGAGEMENT, LIKE NEGATIVITY,
UNFORTUNATELY BREEDS TO
THE REST OF THE TEAM.”
– LISA STERLING, CERIDIAN
daizuoxin/Shutterstock.com
24 ❚ SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL