According to a 2017 Gallup study, 51% of employees are disengaged. Coincidentally, another Gallup study from the same year reported that 51% of employees are looking to leave their jobs. 

The American workplace clearly has an employee engagement problem, and contractors cannot afford to ignore the warning signs. FMI’s 2017 Talent Development in the Construction Industry Survey reported that 89% of construction companies are experiencing a talent shortage. Company longevity is at risk if businesses are losing employees as quickly as they are hiring them.

Trained, experienced employees aren’t easy to replace. So, it’s important now more than ever to create a plan that reengages employees who are on the verge of leaving – especially those at an intermediate stage of their employee life cycle.

But even if managers start recognizing signs that an employee may be among the 51% reportedly unengaged, hope is not lost. Through goal setting, implementing employee recognition programs, creating career paths, and reevaluating management styles, a company can reinvigorate its engagement strategy and create a workplace where employees want to stay.

Know the Signs of Disengagement

While leadership may be shocked when their employees choose to leave, the warning signs are often there long before employees hand in their resignations. If a once engaged, productive, and enthusiastic employee is displaying any of the following behaviors, take it as a sign to kick your employee engagement efforts into high gear.