A blinding flash of the obvious: When people truly care about their company and their work, they do more and do it better than when they don’t.
That difference amounts to a profit increase of 20% or more. So that’s what’s in it for you.
Who Cares?
For years, we’ve used a code word, “engagement,” to describe whether or not people care. Gallup conducts an annual employee engagement survey. Here’s what their 2019 survey says about the American workforce:
- 35% are Actively Engaged – “Psychologically and emotionally attached to their company; involved in and enthusiastic about their work.” (Sadly, 35% is the all-time high.)
- 52% are Not Engaged – “Psychologically unattached to their work and company, putting in time, but not energy and passion.”
- 13% are Actively Disengaged – “Have miserable work experiences and undermine team performance by spreading their unhappiness to their colleagues.”
You read this right. Two out of three people show up for work either just to collect a paycheck or to actively undermine the culture and productivity of their workplace. Economics aside, this is a human tragedy, pure and simple.
We all want to believe that our people are in the 35% who really care. But research shows that owners and managers chronically overestimate the level of engagement in their organizations. And since Actively Engaged people disproportionately work for companies that have made this a priority, the math for everyone else is actually worse.
What Happens When People Care?
Dozens of studies have been done on the impact of employee engagement. They consistently show that having employees who truly care produces the following results:
Improvements in individual metrics range from 20-65%. Not a single study points in the other direction.
Myths About Caring
There are two common misconceptions about caring that we need to dispel. One is that money is what gets people to care. In fact, the correlation between compensation and engagement is only 2%. People need enough money to not feel financially stressed. After that, money has little or no impact on how much people care about their company or their work.
The other myth is that some people are wired to care, and others aren’t. The reality is that virtually everyone wants to care. They just need something to care about. And that’s where you come in.
Next Steps
How much your people care depends on how they answer these simple questions:
- Do I feel like I belong here?
- Am I proud to work here?
- Am I clear on how I contribute?
We’ll cover the details of each of them in our next two posts. Please watch for them. For now, just know that the answers are completely in your control. The benefits of a highly engaged, passionate, caring workforce are yours to have if you want them.
If waiting doesn’t suit you and you’re ready to start making changes now, just let us know. It’s what we do.
