Why Isn’t Staff Engaged? Or Are We Asking the Wrong Questions?

Leadership often asks why staff are not as engaged as they would like them to be.

But is the real question why staff are not engaged, or should the question be what have they been given to engage with?

Can people be engaged if the work feels meaningless to them?

Can people be engaged if they feel invisible?

Can people be engaged if they feel replaceable?

Can people be engaged if they are only contacted when something goes wrong?

Can people be engaged if leadership talks about appreciation but rarely shows it?

What does engagement actually mean?

Does engagement mean turning cameras on during meetings?

Does engagement mean speaking more in meetings?

Does engagement mean attending optional events?

Or does engagement mean caring about the work, the team, and the organization’s mission?

In remote work settings, leadership often pushes for cameras to be on.

But does forcing people to be on camera actually increase engagement?

Or does it increase frustration?

Does it create connection, or does it create pressure?

Are people more engaged because their camera is on, or are they just more visible?

Is visibility the same as engagement?

Does requiring profile pictures increase engagement?

Does a headshot make someone feel more connected to their job?

Or does engagement come from feeling respected, trusted, and valued?

Leadership often says engagement is low, but how often do leaders ask employees what engagement looks like to them?

How often do leaders ask employees what would make work more meaningful?

How often do leaders listen without already having an answer in mind?

Leadership does not seem to spare a dime when it is time for executive travel.

Flights are booked.

Hotels are reserved.

Meals are expensed.

Conferences are attended.

In-person leadership meetings are fully funded.

But what if some of those same funds were used for team gatherings instead?

What if departments were given budgets to meet in person once or twice a year?

What if teams that work remotely could actually spend time together face-to-face?

Would relationships improve?

Would communication improve?

Would trust improve?

Would engagement improve?

Would staff turnover decrease?

Is engagement really about surveys and metrics, or is it about relationships and feeling valued?

Do people leave companies because of the work, or because they don’t feel seen, heard, or appreciated?

Do exit interviews really capture the truth, or just the polite version of it?

Leadership often says they value their people.

But how do employees measure value?

Through emails?

Through town halls?

Through slogans?

Or through actions, opportunities, flexibility, and respect?

Leadership talks about culture.

But what is culture?

Is culture what is written on the website?

Or is culture how people are treated when they make mistakes?

Is culture how promotions are decided?

Is culture the one who gets opportunities and who does not?

Is culture whether people feel safe to speak up?

Leadership talks the talk, but can leadership walk the walk?

Can leadership give up some travel budgets for team connection?

Can leadership allow flexible schedules for real work-life balance?

Can leadership measure performance by results instead of screen time?

Can leadership trust employees without constant monitoring?

One CEO once said he finds what motivates each and every employee and then uses that to motivate them and drive engagement.

And surprisingly, he found that money was not always the motivator.

If not money, then what motivates people?

Is it flexibility?

Is it feeling respected?

Are there growth opportunities?

Is it being trusted?

Is it having a manager who listens?

Is it being able to attend every game, every recital, every play, every important life moment?

Is it being able to pick up your child from school?

Is it not feeling guilty for taking a vacation?

Is it not answering emails at 10 PM?

Is it feeling like your life matters more than your job?

Do people want more money, or do they want more life?

Do people want bigger titles, or do they want less stress?

Do people want pizza parties, or do they want manageable workloads?

Do people want engagement initiatives, or do they want better leadership?

Maybe the question is not why employees are not engaged.

Maybe the real question is:

What have leaders done to create something worth being engaged in?