If you’ve ever watched an episode of The Office, you might notice that most of the employees working at the Scranton, Pennsylvania office are not particularly engaged. (Dwight Schrute is perhaps the exception. He is very—even overly—engaged.) The show depicts Dunder Mifflin paper company, and although this paper company may be fictitious, much can be learned from it about employee engagement.
When employees are engaged it shows in their behavior and positively affects retention. They show dedication and commitment, not only to the company but also to their team, with a willingness to go above and beyond. On the flip side, employees who are not engaged lack focus and drive, affecting their productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. Disengaged staff feel little connection to the company and their team, which can also influence the morale of their colleagues.
In one episode of The Office, Manager Michael Scott asked an associate, Jim Halpert, to review and select a health plan for employees. Michael didn’t want to do it, and Jim didn’t either. Jim suggests that his colleague, the aforementioned Dwight, complete the tasks, which Dwight enthusiastically agrees to do. As Jim is shown speaking to the fictitious camera crew filming The Office, he tells them that his current position is just “a job” and that if he advanced any higher in the company, then it would become his career. He explains that if this was indeed his career he would have to throw himself “in front of a train.” Here, Jim demonstrates a mindset of disengaged employees. In contrast, engaged employees are eager to move up in their role because they know that they can add value.
Identifying Disengaged Employees
When employees become disengaged it can be noticeable. For instance, they may lack a sense of urgency surrounding the work they are doing and their commitments. In meetings these employees may not have much to add and not provide feedback on items being discussed. Additionally, often they don’t take the initiative or volunteer for projects, and in many cases their productivity decreases.
What Causes Disengagement?
When we talk about employee disengagement, we are sometimes quick to assume that the cause is basically the employee’s fault. However, in some cases it can correlate with the type of management they receive. Certain management styles can promote employee disengagement. For instance, when managers don’t allow their team to have input in meetings or refuse to hear them out as they try to make a point, employees begin to think that their opinions and suggestions are going unheard and decide to shut down. Employees also become disengaged when their achievements go unnoticed or when their contributions are not acknowledged. In these situations, it is hard to remain engaged when someone doesn’t appreciate you or your efforts.
Keeping Employees Engaged
Keeping employees engaged is not a hard task, in fact I would argue that it is pretty simple. They want what we all want: to be acknowledged when we do something noteworthy. We want to feel like we are a part of a team and that we are being heard by those in management. We want to be compensated fairly for the work that we do. And we want the ability to not have to choose between our personal life and our career.
While Michael Scott is not a model manager, we know he cares about his employees. At one point he couldn’t give them a raise or a promotion, but he still acknowledged them with the Dunder Mifflin “Dundees,” personalized awards he gives to his employees that shows that he notices them. And, based on character longevity on the show, it does seem like the dynamics he creates lead to retention.
