To state the obvious, a surefire way to improve productivity and employee engagement is the holy grail all companies are looking for.

At a conceptual level, the need to improve productivity and engagement seems so simple and easily achievable after all as human beings, we have been programmed to live and interact in tribes and look for ways to get things done easily and efficiently. 

So, what’s the issue then? 

As the business world gets more complex and challenging, demands and expectations from our customers are rising at a faster pace than we can keep up.

Moreover, the weight of the modern-day workplaces is being pulled through by only a fraction of the workforce therefore the high engagement and productivity combination is not as common as we would expect it to be.

The ugly cost of disengagement

This is evident from the latest 2024 Gallup (global authority on all things related to employee engagement) data. While only 23 per cent of our workforce is engaged and another 15 per cent is disenchanted and disgruntled.

What’s alarming is the fence-sitting, quietly quitting, disengaged group accounts for a whopping 62 per cent.

It is like having a team of 10 rowers on your boat, with two people rowing their heart out, six just sitting with their arms crossed adding dead weight and one person rowing in the opposite direction.

How fast do you reckon your boat can go?

The impact of the fence-sitters on the global economy is a staggering US$8.8 trillion or 9 per cent of the global GDP.

How do we move the needle?

Having worked across multiple countries over the last 25 years, I know the fence-sitting employees are only seemingly disengaged.

While you might think that they only turn up in body, leaving their brains behind, I’ve found they are waiting to be discovered and motivated. Involving the fence-sitters in initiatives led by the engaged few is often the neglected secret to boost productivity.

Recognising your workforce at different levels is the next key.

Whether we take the classical framework of Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, the contemporary one of Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with Why’ or any other framework that explores human motivational theories, recognition stands out as one of the core components driving us all – be it internal gratification or external validation.

Therefore, if we can leverage and practice more of our employees getting involved and then recognising at various levels for their achievements, this is the framework to unlocking both productivity and engagement.

Three ways we can recognise our workplace achievements:

• Individual level – give them something to be proud of. Recognise individuals for their personal contribution and efforts. Whether it is a certificate of appreciation, mentioning their achievements in newsletters or even placing a poster in the canteen, this helps individuals to feel their efforts are noted and valued. This will enable them to finally tick off that fourth level of Maslow’s needs.
• Team level – give them something to brag about. I’ve always believed in 10-12 week team initiatives neatly fit into a business quarter. I’ve also believed in getting those teams to present at quarterly townhalls or any other appropriate forums. Publishing team accomplishments in newsletters, intranet site also help teams to be proud. Employees love to hear the success stories from fellow colleagues, perhaps more than from a leader behind a lectern with PowerPoint slides.  
• Organisation level – give them something to be part of. If you consistently share progress and get teams to showcase their achievements, on a quarterly basis, your workplace culture will soon start to shift for the better. This would be the time for you to share a bigger picture, the purpose, your plan to take the overall site/company to an exciting destination. Make the workplace one your employees would feel proud to bring their families too and show-off what they do to their loved ones.

This approach will help create a positive culture where employees feel encouraged to do more, grow more and be more. A rising tide will lift all boats. Recognition is the rising tide.

Ishan Galapathy is an operational excellence strategist, author, speaker and mentor renowned for his simple techniques that deliver big change. With more than 25 years of experience across seven countries, Ishan helps businesses unlock their hidden capacity and true capability. His latest book UNLOCK delivers techniques to convert seemingly disengaged employees into change drivers.