©2015 RiseSmart, Inc. 1

APRIL LINK ROUNDUP: EMPLOYEE

ENGAGEMENT CRISIS AND

REVITALIZING THE UNHAPPY WORKER Submitted by The RiseSmart Team

Worldwide, only 13 percent of employees are engaged with their organizations,

according to a January 2016 Gallup study. This alarming statistic means that nearly 9 out

of 10 people are unsatisfied at work—a place where they spend the majority of their

adult lives.

This lack of engagement among the employed is deemed by many HR experts a global

crisis. Unhappy workers can be the root of organizational problems, such as high

turnover rates, displeased customers, and damage to the employer brand.

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In the wake of this trend, we have rounded up four articles from April that dive into

common mistakes employers can make when handling employee engagement, and

more importantly, what they can do to revitalize the unhappy worker.

The One Mistake Leaders Make That Kills Employee Engagement

In her Forbes article, Christine Comaford highlights that the first and most detrimental

mistake companies make is not placing an emphasis on first engaging leaders.

She mentions that leaders aren’t “building a solid foundation where employee

engagement can thrive.” Without bringing leadership teams together to build this

foundation, employee engagement will never be fully embedded in the company

culture.

4 Things Every Employee Needs to Be Happy

Treat employees as you would customers, create passionate disciples, stand up for

employees’ best interests and define a social mission—these four objectives are the

keys to unlocking the engaged worker according to Ryan Scott’s Huffington Post article.

In his article he explains that smart employers understand that success lies in employees

who love their jobs. A crucial mistake employers can make is not seeing the value in an

employee-first approach. Not only do disengaged workers cause a potential $10,000

loss in decreased productivity, but they can also be a major hit to the employer brand—

during and after their time at the company.

Employee Engagement In The Digital Age

The digital age is upon us and the methods employers use to keep workers satisfied

continues to evolve as worker needs evolve. However, as technology begins to play a

more vital role in all aspects of life, employers need to continue to place emphasis on

the human element and engage with employees. As David Westfall in this Forbes article

urges, while technology alone cannot solve every problem in the workplace, it can be

used to augment collaboration and engagement through a decentralized flow of

communication. Westfall sees technology as a tool that “should be used to engage on a

direct and personal level with the individuals closest to the information flow.”

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Look After Your Employees, Even on the Way Out

A very common mistake employers might not know they are making is failing to tend to

the transitioning employees and workers who are on their way out of the company. In

order to keep a workforce fully engaged and top talent interested, it is not enough to

merely focus on current employees. When dealing with events like layoffs, leadership

needs to focus its attention on engaging both current and transitioning employees.

Offering career transition services, like outplacement, shows employees that you care

about them not just while they are on your payroll but well after. Barry Shannon

explains the importance of this engagement in his Irish News article;

“It’s about providing a supportive environment, helping them understand and identify

the best career paths available to them and how to navigate their way through,”

Shannon says. “And remember; those who are staying with you will be watching to see

how you treat their colleagues and can you really expect your employees to go the extra

mile for you if you don’t do the same for them?”

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With employee engagement at a worldwide low, employers need to devote more time

and resources to energizing the disengaged worker. A company’s people are its most

valuable asset and, when treated as much, they can contribute to increased productivity

and profits, as well as retention and a strong employer brand.

About RiseSmart RiseSmart, a Randstad company, is a leading provider of contemporary career transition services that

strengthen employer brands, improve retention and re-engage talent. RiseSmart's contemporary approach to

outplacement combines personalized services from trained professionals with unmatched technology

delivered through a convenient, cloud-based platform.

For more information about how enterprise career management can help you, visit

http://www.risesmart.com.