EveryDay Info

A recent article by the Society for Human Resource Management reported that only 33% of the workforce is engaged at work; 49% are not engaged and 18% are actively disengaged. This means that 67 percent of people who are currently employed are disengaged at work.

There are so many reasons why employees become disengaged. Some reasons are very specific to the company. Many people work with difficult bosses or coworkers. Others do not feel they are being treated fairly or simply don’t feel recognized, appreciated, and/or challenged.

This article states ‘progress’ is the #1 reason why people feel engaged – people feeling like they are positively moving forward in their job and are making a positive difference.

According to one career coach, there are other reasons to be considered as well. Many people are working in jobs that are simply not a good fit for them based on their personal qualities and strengths.

Furthermore, one of the top reasons people quit jobs is not typically because of the company, but because of key people they work for or work with, like a boss or supervisor.  The saying “people quit people, not companies” is very true. Complaints about people far outweigh complaints about their actual work.

So the question is :”Who is responsible for you being engaged at work?”

It is the employer’s responsibility to provide strong managers and leaders who can actively motivate, empower, and develop employees to their fullest potential. They want to create a strong, positive, and motivational work environment and assure that all employees are being treated equally.

Beyond that, it’s up to the employee.  Many employees are disengaged because of their own personal reasons.  Many people already have quit their jobs yet still go to work every day. They are the “quit and stay” part of the workforce, which quite clearly is an alarming number of people!

What do you do when you feel disengaged at your work?

One career transition coach advises anyone who is disengaged to make some time to write down all the reasons why. Look at your list and see what areas are specifically related to your work (difficult manager, long hours, little pay, not being validated, etc.) and what other reasons are not directly related to your work environment.

Work related issues can and should be handled in a professional manner. If you do this, and you still feel the same level of disegagement, then it is time for you to move on. It is however possible for disengaged employees to become re-engaged after resolving their issues by talking to their supervisor or the Human Resources Department. Don’t sit and stir with it. Bring your issues forward.

If you can’t do this for whatever reason then it is time for you to go. The facts are, you have to try to fix it or you have to actively plan to move on. Quitting and staying is not an option. It is not fair to the company and it is not fair to you!

There are also many private reasons as to why you are disengaged.  Perhaps you just don’t like your job or the work you do.  Maybe you really want to change careers. Maybe you just don’t believe in what your company does and you want to seek a career that is more fulfilling.

If you feel no longer engaged with your current work because of personal reasons, it’s important to take action and create a plan to move forward.

The time is now. Don’t be a part of that 67% statistic! The sad part is that a large majority of these people will remain in their job day in and day out feeling dissatisfied and unhappy. Some of them will remain in their job until retirement!

You owe it to yourself to be happy!  You may have to stay at your job for now but there simply is no excuse out there as to why you can’t start looking for something else. Seek professional help to keep moving forward and find a job you’re passionate about. Life is short.