With a wealth of experience in both the corporate world and as a dedicated Career counselor, I’ve witnessed the repercussions of leadership errors in organizations. It’s clear that many organizations often overlook their most valuable asset— their people. Time constraints often lead corporate managers to sideline the essential task of tending to their staff’s needs.

Employees frequently express frustration with managers lacking the critical soft skills and emotional intelligence required to effectively lead them. This deficit results in a lack of authentic and meaningful communication between managers and their teams.

In these turbulent times, it’s imperative for organizational leaders to equip themselves with the necessary skills. They must be adept not only at achieving results but also at being inquisitive, empowering, inspiring, and capable of coaching their staff towards growth and development.

Gallup research has found that managers account for a substantial 70% of the variance in team Employee Engagement. Part of this engagement includes what attention they give their staff. In Australia, shockingly employee engagement was found to be at a mere 20%.

Let’s delve into three common leadership mistakes that hinder employee engagement and explore how to overcome them to become a more effective leader and foster an engaged workforce.

Mistake 1: Neglecting Employee Development

One significant error is the failure to invest in employee development.

Talented employees often leave organizations that don’t support their career growth. Employees who perceive their learning has stagnated become disengaged.
Employers must understand that, on average, they receive only 70% of an employee’s effort. The remaining 30%, known as discretionary effort, is withheld when employees feel their growth is stagnant.
Gallup’s 2021 State of the Global Workplace report revealed alarmingly low employee engagement levels in Australia, at just 20%. This indicates that many Australian employees lack enthusiasm for their work.
When 80% of employees are disengaged, organizational leaders must question what happens during the next economic disruption. The likely answer is that the organization could lose its competitive edge, endangering its long-term viability.

Employee Career Development means different things to different employees. Not everyone aspires to climb the traditional corporate ladder. Many seek exposure to new tasks and activities to acquire fresh skills. They understand that not all can ascend to managerial positions, as these roles are limited.

Today’s employees are motivated by personal growth, meaning, and purpose in their work. Millennials are at the forefront of this change. Neglecting their growth can drive them to explore entrepreneurial opportunities or invest in their unique career paths, potentially leaving organizations that fail to nurture their talents.

Here is a case study that was interviewed reflecting the thoughts of this generation.

James, aged in his thirties, says he stayed only 2.5 years at a “not quite management” role at his old place of work in the education sector.

“I stayed 2.5 longer than I would have. I stayed until I’d finished studying, and then left,” he says.

Although the organisation was investing in training at the director level, he was told there was no budget available for him to do a $200 training course.  He wasn’t offered informal training or mentoring either. In the end, he paid for his own training, then resigned and took up a six-month contract, giving up his full-time role.

“The only job security that you have is that which you’ve invested in yourself – so you can go anywhere,” he points out.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Employee Well-being and Flexibility

Another common oversight is neglecting employee well-being and flexibility. Investing in employees involves enabling them to balance work and personal life, not the other way around. This approach allows employees to fulfill family and personal well-being commitments.

In recent years, Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of workplace flexibility. In Australia, employees with at least 12 months of tenure are legally entitled to request flexibility in the workplace if:

• The employee is a parent, or has responsibility for the care of a child who is of school age or younger;
• The employee is a carer (within the meaning of the Carer Recognition Act 2010);
• The employee has a disability;
• The employee is 55 or older;
• The employee is experiencing violence from a member of the employee’s family, or
• The employee provides care or support to a member of their immediate family or household who requires care or support because they are experiencing violence from the member’s family. (Source: Fair Work)

Flexibility has become a top priority for Australian employees, often outweighing financial compensation in their job considerations. This trend is supported by Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman, citing benefits such as increased staff retention, reduced workplace stress, lower absenteeism, and improved job satisfaction for organizations.

EY (Ernst & Young) is an example of an organization that embraces flexibility, offering term-time working, life leave, and temporary part-time arrangements to promote a better work-life balance for employees.

 “Flexibility is the number one driver of retention – it increases employee engagement by 11%. The culture of work is becoming increasingly employee-centric and employers have to adapt,” – EY Oceania’s People Partner Kate Hillman.

Mistake 3: Tolerating Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying is a pervasive issue in Australian organizations, leading to severe consequences for employees and organizations alike.

The Fair Work Act defines bullying as repeated unreasonable behavior toward an employee, posing a risk to health and safety, whether psychological, physical, or both. Unfortunately, bullying has become normalized in workplaces, eroding employees’ self-esteem and affecting their lives both inside and outside work.

Employees often turn to HR to report bullying, but their complaints often go unanswered. This underscores the need to rethink HR’s role in some organizations.

Organizational leaders must not shy away from addressing workplace bullying, as it can fester and damage an organization’s culture. Inaction allows toxic workplace culture to grow unchecked.

An individual has reported “There are people I’ve seen who’ve tried to say something to HR [without result]”.

It’s a Pandora’s Box and usually, organisational leaders do not want the conflict. They see it as a drain on resources. This comes back to organisational culture. If you don’t stamp it out straight away the toxic culture is left to grow like cancer in the organisation. It’s one thing to talk about it and another to take action.

Here is a case study that was interviewed on this very issue:

Surgical technologist Georgia says she and others were bullied and harassed by another employee at an eye surgery clinic. She complained to her supervisor but then was fired after only eight months after her bully claimed she was causing problems.

“I don’t know what to do; I tried to call HR but HR didn’t call me back. They (HR) took my message to my supervisor (who’d fired me). The supervisor wrote me an email that I didn’t need to get HR involved. Bully is still there and bullying along,” she says.

Solutions: Becoming an Effective Leader

Becoming an effective leader requires addressing these common leadership mistakes and fostering a healthier workplace. Here are some solutions:

1. Invest in Employee Development: Acknowledge that employees seeking growth will leave if their career development is neglected.

2. Promote a Zero-Tolerance Bullying Culture: Create a culture that condemns bullying and ensure employees understand and HR enforces it.

3. Embrace Workplace Flexibility: Recognize the importance of flexibility for employee satisfaction, retention, and overall productivity.

4. Engage in Meaningful Conversations: Regularly communicate with employees to understand their evolving needs and aspirations.

5. Develop Soft Skills: Focus on soft skills and self-awareness to adapt to the changing dynamics of leadership, becoming facilitators and coaches rather than traditional top-down bosses.

Implementing some of these solutions will not only increase employee engagement but it will improve the organisations’ performance.

To explore how to improve as a leader and boost employee engagement, feel free to reach out for a  confidential conversation on 0434 028 025.

Discover my new service offering for employee development in the Repurpose & Realign 1:1 Career Employee Development Program.

Let’s create a workplace where employees thrive, and organisations flourish!

Written by Gina Bell

Gina Bell is a university-qualified Sydney Career Expert in Career Advice, Career Coaching, and Career Counselling. She also works as a Talent Development Consultant for commercial organisations. She is passionate about aligning a person’s work purpose in a work environment where they can find fulfillment & reach their potential.

Her qualifications include a Graduate Diploma in Career Development, a Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting, and a Bachelor of Economics. She is registered with the Career Industry Council of Australia, Professional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia, National Career Development Association in the USA, Asia Pacific Career Development Association & Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand.

In her free time, she loves to travel, cook and learn.

Follow her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-bell/