In Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Ford asks a Vogon – a race of slug-like, bureaucratic and bad-tempered aliens – whether or not his working hours are any good. To this, the Vogon replies “Yes, but come to think of it most of the actual minutes are pretty lousy.”
As it turns out, in the real world a lot of people feel just like this unhappy alien when they’re at work. Research has revealed that employee engagement is at an all-time low, with just 13% of employees worldwide feeling engaged with their jobs.
As effective employees are one of the most fundamental ingredients for business success, this disengagement crisis could spell catastrophe for many business owners. While engaged employees are enthusiastic, innovative and enjoy their jobs to the point that they’ll stay with a company for many years, disengaged employees are the polar opposite. They dread Monday mornings, take loads of sick days and are often unproductive when they do bother to show up. At the worst end of the scale, they’ll also make the lives of other employees a living hell, disrupting meetings and undermining their colleagues.
Luckily, it’s not all doom and gloom. This infographic by Mad Max Adventures takes a look at the facts and figures behind the disengagement epidemic and offers up a few ways that you can revive your own workforce.
Guest blogger Becca Armstrong-Benson is a content writer for MadMax Adventures, a purpose build outdoor activity center near Edinburgh, Scotland.