When Good Employees Stop Caring and What to Do About It

Do your employees care about their work? When good employees stop caring, it’s a matter that needs immediate attention. Do you know how to deal with this problem? Would you even know that this was a problem? Let’s dig a little deeper into the common problem of when good employees stop caring.

When Good Employees Stop Caring

It’s an all-too-familiar scene. It’s the grand opening of your business. The building is clean and sparkling, and there’s a buzz in the air; everyone is happy to be there. It’s exciting! You’re so glad to have great workers that want to serve your customers.

Somehow, however, the sparkle has faded. The smiles aren’t there; your amazing employees have lost their enthusiasm. So what happened?

Your good employees have stopped caring.

Why Good Employees Stop Caring

Whether you call it coasting, doing the bare minimum, or quiet-quitting, it’s all the same: your good employees have stopped caring. But why? Here are some possible reasons:

Lack of recognition-They’re receiving no recognition and no appreciation. They never hear a “thank you.” Workers lose morale when they don’t think their efforts matter anymore.
Lack of opportunities-They see no future with the company.
Management-A micromanaging leadership style has taken over. Outstanding employees will get discouraged if management wants to oversee their every task.
Company Culture-There’s a hostile work environment. People will mentally check out or quit when harassment is tolerated or respect isn’t the standard.

Good workers may not complain, but they can grow tired of carrying a whole team. Do you give all the tough jobs to a handful of workers? If a few good employees are doing all the hard stuff – while the rest of the team gets only easy projects – disengagement can result. If workers feel they are carrying their team – without any rewards or recognition – they may lose their motivation.

What to Do When Good Employees Stop Caring

Have some of your good employees stopped caring? This isn’t an insurmountable problem. Instead, you can take control and find a solution, which is part of having a growth mindset. Check out our resource, 5 Ways to Practice a Growth Mindset in Business, to learn more.

1. Communicate With Your Employees

The first step to fixing employee disengagement is to communicate with your team. You can open the lines of communication with them to help you find out why they stopped caring about their work. Therefore, it’s essential to approach this problem calmly and tactfully. It will prove that you are sincere and genuinely want to help them become interested in their work again.

Accomplishing this goal can take time, so don’t get discouraged. Your employees might be hesitant to share their concerns with you. Don’t give up – stay committed to the goal of increasing morale. It will be worth it in the end. Here are some tips for how to communicate with your employees:

Don’t make accusations without evidence. It will fuel distrust, making problems even worse.
Focus on what you’re observing, what problems you’re seeing, and what changes you need to see going forward. Then, create a plan with action steps.
If you need information, try asking open-ended questions. This is more effective than asking questions requiring a simple yes or no response, as open-ended questions will give you more information. They begin with words like what, where, how, or when. You can also ask a question in the form of a statement, like “Tell me about how the project is going.” As you can see, questions structured this way can’t be answered with just a yes or no. So, it’s easier to get honest feedback when you present questions in this manner.
Some people can quickly respond when questioned: “on the spot.” Others don’t. Anytime you’re interviewing someone, give them a few moments to hear your question, gather their thoughts, and respond to it.
A little honesty can go a long way. For example, if you had to cut employee bonuses, it’s ok to admit that this is disappointing for your workers. Acknowledging that this is tough for them can show that you’re human, too.

Sometimes communication reveals that it’s time for a business partnership to end. For example, are you in a business partnership with a friend? If it’s time to go your separate ways, check out our resource, How to End a Business Partnership with a Friend.

2. Find Out What Motivates Them

Do any of your employees need a new challenge? Some workers stop caring because they want more responsibility but see no path to it. Others begin not to care because they feel like their work is menial and is not making much of a difference. While others just want to be acknowledged for their hard work and commitment.

As a part of your employee reviews, find out what drives your people. Do they love the work that they are doing? Are they in love with the company culture? Do they seek advancement?

These are all important questions to understand about your employees. Understanding what motivates them allows you to work towards creating initiatives that will keep them engaged and excited about their jobs.

3. Offer New Opportunities

According to a recent study, 63% of workers left their job last year due to a lack of career opportunities. This means an overwhelming number of employees want to do more within their current company but have not been given the opportunity to do so. As a leader, it is up to you to help your employees grow professionally. Either in their current position or another role.

Have some discussions about their future with the company. Gain an understanding of what they like about their jobs and what they are working towards professionally. Then, try to match their skills, passions, and aspirations to a position or responsibility within the company. This doesn’t always mean an official promotion but it does involve a move toward advancement.

Remember, though, that it’s equally important not to push anyone towards a job they don’t want. Some individuals do not want to “move up” and are content to stay exactly where they are. In this case, it is best to find opportunities to ignite their excitement without changing their current role.

4. Offer Incentives – Get Them Excited About Work

Sometimes, all a good employee needs is a little extra something to get excited about work again. A little incentive can go a long way! Here are some ideas:

Start an Employee of the Month program.
Provide free snacks.
Draw for a big prize. Gather ideas for something that everyone would want.
During the busiest times of the year, provide free meals.
Ask workers how they want to be rewarded. Do they want more paid time off? Do they want to work from home?

5. Increase the Respect Level

Another Pew survey found that 57% of employees left their jobs because they felt disrespected at work. This means another reason why your good employees stop caring is that they do not feel respected at work. This disrespect can be because of other employees or the job itself. Oftentimes, an employee can have a desire for more opportunities to grow but is never given the opportunity. An employee can also feel disrespected if they are not acknowledged for their efforts.

Take a good look at your company and culture and evaluate if you are creating an environment of respectful behavior amongst employees. Then, find a way to make sure your company leadership is doing its best to acknowledge, communicate, and respect the team.

6. Be Ready to Move On If All Else Fails

A good employee is hard to find. However, you cannot always change the way a person feels about their job. If a good employee’s attitude begins to negatively impact their co-workers, your customers, and your business, you need to make sure to take steps to protect your staff and clients.

Sometimes an employee’s lack of apathy has nothing to do with you or your company. As a leader, you need to make sure you do all you can to retain good employees and to help them feel like they and their work matter. However, when you’ve done all you can, you have to be willing to move on and focus on employees that do care about your business.

Your Good Employees Can Care Again

Times of discouragement happen in every good employee’s career. As a business leader, you want to encourage your employees to be the best. By leading with clear communication and creating a positive work environment and opportunities for advancement, you can help them become motivated again. Also, incentives can give them an extra push and recapture their enthusiasm. As a result, you will boost morale, and your employees will thrive!

Erin Shelby is a writer and blogger based in Ohio. Follow her on Twitter @ByErinShelby

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Business Opportunities · Company Culture · featured · Find Your Way · Grow your business · Leadership · Success · Your Mindset

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Find Your Way · Grow Your Business · Leading Your Team · Sales · Your Mindset

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