Employees are at work, but their hearts aren’t in it. What to do when just 34% of employees report feeling engaged, and an additional 16% feel disengaged? Managers, it’s your job to realize and nurture the gifts and talents that make your employees perform in a next-level way. Your customer service employee who has a great personality and brings a lot of joy to customers? Let her know how much you appreciate her! Your bank teller employee who is meticulous about the details of transactions? Praise him for it! Notice what sets employees apart and recognize it. Schedule regular (weekly) feedback sessions. You’ll increase engagement and retention. Speak to employee potential. You’re on the sidelines. The game on the field is your department, the players… your employees. It’s time to act as coach, not “the boss.” The primary elements of engagement that took a backseat during the pandemic are around clarity of expectations, and the chance for employees to do their best work. Evidence that a conversation is required. Employee engagement surveys are a great tool to employ, but don’t just administer a survey, and interpret the results. The discovery should lead to conversation with employees… which should lead to ongoing discovery. Engagement is a fluid state. Let’s make sure that our response to ensuring it reflects that truth. Finally, change up your training offerings. Airlines Reporting Group started to offer training via the online platforms A Cloud Guru and Skillsoft Percipio, and employees have logged hundreds of hours on the platforms.