Are Employees Engaged?
“I’m so tired of having to baby-sit employees. How do I get people to take responsibility for what they are supposed to do?”
If you or your supervisors have ever asked this question out loud, it might be that the employees in question are simply not engaged at a high level in the role expected of them.
Try the HR Self-AssessmentSeven factors influence an employee’s level of engagement:
- Trust – the employee’s level of trust in the organization and the person directing their activities.
- Respect – the employee’s respect for their supervisor and the management team.
- Understanding – confidence that they clearly understand what is expected of them and why.
- Value – acceptance of the value of what they are required to do.
- Beliefs – alignment of required activities with personal values and belief systems.
- Impact – the effect of the task on other job-related and personal responsibilities.
- Consequences – expectations of positive and/or negative outcomes tied to the activity.
1) Trust
If phrases such as “flavor of the month,” “today’s emergency,” or “it depends on who you ask” are heard with any frequency, there may be a trust issue. When employees believe what they are required to do will change in the short term, they will put no more effort into the activity than is absolutely necessary to avoid unpleasant consequences.
Trust does not have to be based on personal experience to shape perception. If an employee thinks it’s true, then for them it is true.
How to surface trust issues: culture surveys; review questions about barriers to performance; candid one-on-ones.
2) Respect
You don’t have to like someone in order to respect their ability or knowledge. Perceived favoritism or unfairness is the biggest enemy of respect—clear, communicated guidelines reduce it.
3) Understanding
- Missing info or weak communication → missed results.
- When unsure of expectations/steps, people act tentatively.
Explain the why and how work connects before and after—time invested up front saves rework.
4) Value
People won’t invest effort in activities they see as low value. Explain what information is used for, how, and why accuracy matters to reduce resistance.
5) Beliefs
Cognitive Consistency Theory says conflict between requirements and personal values blocks action until one side becomes more attractive. Commitment is the beginning—not the end—of possible conflict.
6) Impact
Position analyses often total 120–150% workload. People who feel at 150% will prioritize, disengage from low-impact tasks, or protect personal time.
7) Consequences
Balance correction with recognition—catch them doing it right. Inconsistent or delayed consequences shift focus from the issue to fairness. Consistent feedback sustains engagement.
These are practical levers supervisors can use to improve engagement and performance.
