When Good Employees Go Bad: Understanding and Tackling Workplace Detractors

When it comes to employee engagement, it's not only the "engaged" employees that organizations should be worried about. In fact, "disengaged" employees – or the "detractors" – can have the biggest impact on a company's performance. Among the risks faced by organizations, few are as potentially damaging as detractors. Even engaged employees are not immune to the negative effects of a disengaged workforce. In fact, employees who work with a disengaged colleague are more likely to become disengaged themselves.

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What are "detractors"? 

Detractors are employees who, through their words or actions, undermine what the organization is trying to achieve. They spread negativity, foster dissent, and erode morale. They can be found at every level of an organization, and their impact is far-reaching.

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Causes of Detraction

One of the key reasons for this disconnect is that many employees feel like they are not valued or appreciated by their employers. This can be a result of a number of factors, including a lack of recognition, feeling like their work is not meaningful, or feeling like they are not being given the opportunity to grow and develop. The actual causes leading employees to dis-engage can be different between organizations. Engagement surveys can help leaders identify the specific causes of employee disengagement within their organization. 

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Signs and Behaviors of Detractors

Detractors are often hard to spot. Detractors may be the quiet ones who never say anything positive, or the ones who are always complaining. Whatever their specific behaviors, there are some common tells that indicate someone may be a detractor:

• They complain frequently
• They demonstrate constant negativity 
• They are difficult to work with
• They undermine the efforts of their teammates
• They often try to stir up drama and conflict
• They gossip and spread rumors
• They take credit for the work of others
• They make personal attacks on others

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How can organizations gain insight into their detractors? 

1. Conduct regular surveys

Regular surveys are a great way to get feedback from employees on a variety of topics, including engagement. Employee engagement data is a key foundation to uncover detractors and their behaviors in your organization.

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2. Look for patterns in the data

Once the survey data has been collected, leaders should look for patterns. Segregate promoters from detractors, and analyze each group separately. Are there certain departments or job roles that have a higher percentage of disengaged employees? Are there certain times of the year when employee engagement levels drop? Are there certain engagement attributes that rank low among detractors?

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3. Hold exit interviews

Exit interviews are a great way to get insight into why employees are leaving the company. Be sure to ask questions about employees' experiences at the company, what they liked and didn't like, and what could have been done to keep them from leaving.

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4. Analyze turnover data (employee exit analysis)

Turnover data can be a goldmine of information about employee engagement. Look for patterns in the data – such as who is leaving, when they're leaving, and why they're leaving – that can give you insights into the disengagement of employees. 

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5. Talk to employees

Sometimes the best way to gain insight into employee engagement is to simply talk to employees. Ask them how they're feeling, what they like and don't like about their job, and what their motivations are. 

Engagesoft will help you to identify and address the challenges with your disengaged employees. The platform provides you with the ability to conduct regular pulse surveys, look for patterns in data, perform exit analysis, and analyze turnover data, and examine the causes which lead to disengagement. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you engage your employees and create a more positive work environment