As the leader of your company, it’s critical that you’re aware of how engaged your employees are. Today, creating a healthy company culture may seem like a trending topic, however, it’s always in the best interest of your business to retain your staff. Far too often, the culture of a company seems to plummet–leaving the leadership team confused and your productivity weakened. The best thing you do can do is prevent such a scenario is to take preventative action.
Take a look at the following 10 signs that suggest your employees are not satisfied with their job. The sooner you’re able to define the problem, the faster you’ll be at outlining a solution.
Arriving Late
It’s not uncommon for an employee to arrive late to work one morning. Traffic, family emergencies, even a faulty alarm can cause a conscientious employee to arrive to the office at a slightly later time. But when an employee begins pushing back their starting hour consistently, this could be a tell-tale sign of their unhappiness. Starting hours exist for a reason. When an employee arrives late, they’re less likely to complete the tasks on their list, thus limiting productivity. Worse, this behavior is can easily be modeled by other employees, especially if little is done to correct the action.
While it’s important to remain flexible, it’s also critical to your productivity to set and maintain work hours that are followed by the entire staff.
Boredom
When an employee is truly engaged at her company, she is rarely bored. If she completes her tasks for the day, it’s likely that she’d start on a new project to get ahead or help out a co-worker who may be behind. While this type of employee may seem ideal, it’s also possible to manage employees who work at opposite ends of the spectrum. If you catch your employee finished early with her tasks, it could suggest that she could handle a more demanding workload. This can be helpful to motivate and challenge employees to reduce the risk of boredom.
It’s important to keep in mind that if an employee is finishing tasks too quickly, the quality of the work may suffer. Keep yourself abreast of the situation and assign tasks accordingly.
Procrastination
An employee who waits until the last minute to complete a project or task may suffer from more than procrastination. If he finds little motivation in the work he’s doing, he’s less likely to complete it in a timely manner.
Work Quality
When an employee finishes the work too quickly or waits until the last moment to complete it; the quality of your product or service is bound to fall. This can be detrimental to your business and client base. It’s part of your manager’s duty to assess and track the quality of the work. If you notice a consistent dip in quality, it may suggest an employee is less than happy to be there.
More Time Off
When an employee is dissatisfied with her work, she may be more interested in taking time off. Whether she uses sick days, vacation days, or is skipping work all-together, if you notice that an employee’s desk is vacant, this may be a giveaway that her workplace engagement level is low. As a manager, be mindful of approving days off. Don’t be afraid to ask your employee if there’s a larger problem at hand.
For example, it may be true than an employee is taking more time off to care for a sick child or parent. This does not equate to lower employee engagement. Take the opportunity to provide additional flexibility to the employee. She’ll be more likely to remember this generosity when she returns fully to work.
Turnover
Perhaps one of the most telling signs of employee dissatisfaction: turnover. When your turnover rate is high, this suggests that your employees are unhappy and are willing to find other work that is more bearable. Don’t let this pattern happen to you. It’s far easier to curb one employee’s dissatisfaction. But when that dissatisfaction spills out to the rest of the staff, it’s nearly impossible to rein back in.
Quiet Office
Do you notice that the office is especially quiet? Do you miss the friendly banter or exchanges made by coworkers? If you’re office suffers from a newly quiet atmosphere, this could be a sign that your employees are unhappy.
Personal Tasks
It’s natural that your employees will take a minute here and there to complete a personal task. But when that becomes more commonplace, it can suggest that your employee less engaged with the work at hand. If you notice that your employee is spending more time than usual on his or her phone, it could be time to step in and check-in.
Monday Blues
Nobody enjoys coming to work on a Monday. But if you notice that the mood is especially bleak, this could be a signal that something is wrong. External elements like the rain or a cold morning can affect this, but if you notice a pattern; it’s in your best interest to find ways to improve the overall mood. Hint: coffee and donuts may just do the trick.
Lower Creative Energy
The creative employee can offer your company invaluable assets. Uncovering new ways to perform the job or finding better ways to keep clients can actively build your business. But what happens when an the well of employee innovation dries up? To start, it could suggest that there is an unhappiness present. Take the time to check-in to see what problems exist and how you can reignite the flame of innovation!
If your employees begin to show signs of lower engagement, consider the value that each employee holds. It’s in your best interest to listen to each employee and find ways to make the workplace a better and more productive environment for everyone.
