Dunder Mifflin employees were known to practice “quiet quitting” before the concept even existed. They could be a disengaged crew at times. So, what exactly is “employee disengagement?”
Let’s define this term that isn’t so new, after all. Then we can discuss some of the signs your employees may be disengaging. Just because you don’t notice Dunder Mifflin-level hijinks around your office doesn’t mean your employees are all engaged.
Defining Employee Disengagement
You know those employees around the office who just seem to squeak by; you may have even been one yourself once upon a time. You know not to ask any extra from these employees since they’re likely to respond, “It’s not my job.”
Fans of
The Office are likely already picturing everybody’s favorite grumpy Dunder Mifflin-ite, Stanley Hudson. He was a blatant “quiet quitter” long before some Tik-Tok’er coined that term. What else would you expect from a man who once said, “I would rather work for an upturned broom with a bucket for a head than work for somebody else in this office besides myself.”
But if you think about it, Stanley isn’t the only employee in that workplace who was less than engaged with their work. (Though he certainly was the most blatant with his crossword puzzles.) You can probably argue that most of the others were, too, in some way. Jim, with his endless pranks on Dwight; Kelly, constantly flirting with Ryan; and even the boss, Michael Scott, who only wanted to socialize and make inappropriate jokes.
These employees showed it in different ways, but they were all disengaged. So, what does that mean? Disengaged employees draw a firm line between their jobs bleeding into their private time and rarely ever going above and beyond their tasks. They do as little work as possible and don’t often seem to enjoy their work.
Today, the age-old concept of employee disengagement has a new twist. It’s now trendy to call it quiet quitting, which refers to the idea of doing only your work. You stop work right at quitting time and don’t think about it again until you come in the following day. Employees who adopt this approach don’t necessarily hate their jobs but enforce a strict work-life balance.
Unfortunately, this approach to work can bring negative consequences. Aside from bringing down morale around the office, like an infectious disease, disengagement costs companies almost $500 billion yearly!
The Three Levels of Employee Engagement
Gallup recently did a survey and concluded that there are three levels of engagement. Employees are either actively engaged, not engaged, or actively disengaged.
An actively engaged employee is easy to spot. They are loyal and committed to the company and their jobs. They’re always involved and take the initiative on projects; they
show up
and are ready to tackle each day. Dwight Schrute is Dunder Mifflin’s number one actively engaged employee; he loves his job so much that he anoints himself Assistant (to the) Regional Manager.
The two levels of disengaged employees are relatively easy to tell apart. Employees that fall under the not engaged category do their jobs just fine; thanks for asking. It’s done, and you can’t complain, but somehow you wish they would take a little more initiative. However, they just take their paycheck and go home. They aren’t bad; they’re just…there.
Employees who are actively disengaged are a whole different beast. Why are they even there? These are the negative Nancys who make it clear they are unhappy in their jobs and are unhappy in every interaction. Ryan The Temp was most certainly an actively disengaged employee. “If I had to, I could clean out my desk in five seconds, and nobody would ever know I had ever been here. And I’d forget too.” Classic actively disengaged employee; funny on tv, not at all funny in your office.
Why Quiet Quitting Isn’t The Best Term
Although most people recognize this phenomenon as “quiet quitting,” a more appropriate phrase would be “employee disengagement.” For starters, there’s no quitting involved. People are still going to work, doing their jobs, and getting paid.
An employee’s reason for disengagement deserves to be taken seriously and approached with empathy. To dismiss their dissatisfaction in the workplace disrespectfully won’t change their behavior.
So, we will stick with “employee disengagement” for the time being.
How to Spot Employee Disengagement
Some signs of employee disengagement are undeniable. If they show up to work in their pajama bottoms and slippers, you have a problem.
Some symptoms are more subtle and could have other explanations. That’s why you’ll need to look for a couple of signs and not just jump to conclusions.
The most obvious ways of displaying their lack of investment in their work are their behavior and the physical things they do. For example, they may take an inappropriate number of breaks. They may even start taking lots of time off.
You can’t always expect poor work quality for an employee who’s become disengaged, but it is one possible symptom. A disengaged employee often does just enough work to earn their paycheck. 47% of all US employees admit that they’re only in their jobs for the pay.
Other ways of disengaging are more emotional. For example, somebody who contributes ideas and conversation is likely pretty engaged, but if they are aloof and don’t play a part in meetings, they are more likely to feel disconnected from the team.
An employee who often feels defeated whenever their project doesn’t quite have the results they hoped for is probably pulling back from their job. They feel let down easily because they didn’t have high hopes in the first place, and they can’t see any of the good that stemmed from their work.
Of course, there are mental ways of disengaging, as well. Does the employee have follow-through? They may seem into an idea or a project, but if they never follow up on it or take the initiative, that’s an indication of disengagement. They may also show no interest in being challenged or setting goals to further their career path.
