Have you noticed lately that there’s someone on your team who just isn’t pulling their weight? Maybe the quality of their work has slipped, maybe they’ve started showing up late a few times a week, or maybe they’ve stopped being a team player. These are all classic signs of a disengaged employee. Here’s how to spot if you’ve got one at your business.
They Complain Constantly
A disengaged employee is always sure to tell you the bad news first. While it can seem like there would be advantages to this (at least they’re telling you like it is), their remarks usually come with an unhealthy amount of complaining and pessimism. A disengaged employee finds every reason to degrade the efforts of others or make excuses about why they couldn’t complete their work (hint: it’s always something totally out of their control). These employees are toxic to the organization because their bad attitude can quickly spread.
They Don’t Take Responsibility
When a disengaged employee makes a mistake, they will never admit that it’s their fault. There will always be an external reason for why they were late to work, why they missed a crucial error in a calculation, or why their report was incomplete. If you have an employee who refuses to take responsibility for their actions, it’s time to have a serious conversation with them.
They Don’t Help Solve Problems
When problems arise, strong teams band together to solve them. A disengaged employee will be noticeably absent from this process, and they may even try to poke holes in the solutions of others. Again, this type of behavior is toxic and can spread throughout your team if it’s not nipped in the bud. Talk to your employee if you notice them not collaborating to make your business better.
They Don’t Interact with Their Peers
Not everyone is a social butterfly, but an employee who clocks in, pops in their headphones immediately, eats lunch alone, and clocks out without so much as a goodbye wave is probably feeling pretty checked out and disconnected. Team camaraderie is important, and an employee who goes out of their way to avoid interaction with their peers probably isn’t fully committed to the success of your organization.
They Do the Bare Minimum
Everyone needs to go above and beyond sometimes to make a business successful. A disengaged employee will not lift a finger to do anything that’s even slightly outside of their job description, even if it would benefit the business overall. By putting their desires over the needs of the company and their teammates every single time, they’re demonstrating to you that their interests aren’t aligned with yours.
What to Do Next?
Once you’ve identified a disengaged employee, you need to move quickly. Have a conversation with them sooner rather than later so you can understand the underlying cause of their lack of connection and encourage them to be part of its solution. Even if you and the employee end up parting ways, you’ll want to have this conversation as soon as you can so that you can head off any potential issues with their bad attitude rubbing off on other team members. By the way, make sure that your partners and vendors are also engaged and invested in the success of your business. If your current credit card processor doesn’t fit the bill, reach out to 360 Payments by calling 1-855-360-0360 or dropping us a line on our website. We’re ready to make your payments seamless and painless.
PS – What should you do about a toxic customer? We have a guide for that.
PPS – Should you consider remote work for the long-term? Read this first.