INTHEBLACK June/July 2024 - Magazine - Page 53
“In a safe culture, employees feel valued and capable of taking risks,
admitting mistakes and reporting problems they see.”
DR AMANDA FERGUSON, ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST
However, as global analytics and advisory
firm Gallup adds, quiet quitters also present
organisations with their greatest opportunity
for growth.
The challenge for employers is to learn
how to identify and re-engage the quiet
quitters in their teams. The Gallup report
offers clues on where to start, as 85 per cent
of quiet quitters say they are disengaged
due to three broader issues:
• engagement or culture
• pay and benefits
• wellbeing and work–life balance.
THE MANAGER FACTOR
An engaged workforce is characterised by
vigour, absorption and dedication, where
employees are willing to go above and
beyond the scope of their role, Ferguson says.
“It is basically loving and liking your work,”
she explains.
Managers play a crucial role in this, with
Gallup’s research indicating that 70 per cent
of team engagement is attributable to managers.
A 2022 report from US business
consultancy Zenger Folkman found that
the highest-performing managers had an
average rate of quiet quitting among their
direct reports of just 3 per cent. However,
for the lowest-performing managers,
the quiet quitting rate was 14 per cent.
The pandemic put undue stress on
managers, many of whom were not equipped
to manage newly remote teams, Ferguson
adds. She recommends training managers
in a nuanced style of management that
considers individual differences and
acknowledges that what motivates one
employee might overwhelm another.
“It is an extra skill set where management
is tailored for each team member, rather than
using the same approach for every employee,”
she says.
DRIVERS OF ENGAGEMENT
At audit, tax and advisory firm Grant Thornton
Australia, an annual national survey measures
employee engagement and its drivers across
the business, says chief people and culture
officer Kate Lindwall.
“With this data, we can drill down at
a micro-level to assess specific teams that
may require additional support or attention,”
Lindwall says.
“The results of our annual national
engagement surveys have shown year-on-year
improvements with high engagement scores
and an uplift in our people experience, which
has, in turn, led to better client service and
growth across all parts of the firm.”
Trust and communication are key drivers
across the firm, Lindwall adds, which also
means listening to employees. “We are willing
to try new things, such as the launch of our
nine-day fortnight trial.”
Lindwall also highlights Grant Thornton
Australia’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
strategy. The strategy has helped the firm gain
certification as a Family Inclusive Workplace™
and to win the Diversity and Inclusion
Program/Initiative of the Year at the Australian
Accounting Awards 2023.
UPSKILL
Gain confidence
in stakeholder
relationships with
CPA Australia’s
Finance Business
Partnering
in-person workshop
TOP TIPS TO RE-ENGAGE EMPLOYEES
Organisations seeking to improve employee
wellbeing and engagement should focus
on creating a culture of psychological
safety. If employees do not feel safe in
their workplace, Ferguson says, they are
not going to feel engaged.
“In a safe culture, employees feel valued
and capable of taking risks, admitting
mistakes and reporting problems they see.”
Ensuring that resourcing is sufficient for
teams to achieve goals and KPIs is also vital.
Ferguson recommends asking employees if they
have what they need to do their work. It is also
important to give credit where it is due, because
constructive feedback boosts engagement.
“You cannot ‘overpraise’,” Ferguson says.
“Connect the dots,” she adds. “Show the
worker where their role makes the difference
and why it makes a difference, in case they
have lost the sense of meaning about their
work. Show them how they are making
a positive impact.”
READ
an INTHEBLACK
article on
how to seek
honest feedback
from employees
READ
an INTHEBLACK
article on quiet
quitting and
other buzzwords
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 53
