Leadership coach discusses the issue of “presenteeism” at work and how managers can safeguard against it

It is estimated that employers lose $255 dollars in productivity a year,, per employee, due to presenteeism. But how can managers and employers reduce this costly problem and make sure that employees are not just physically present, but also engaged in their work?

“Presenteeism is when an employee is at their desk or their station, but they are not working at full capacity due to being distracted, disengaged or otherwise run-down,” says Jack Skeen, who recently wrote a ground-breaking new business development book, The Circle Blueprint: Decoding the Conscious and Unconscious Factors that Determine Your Success. “It is a costly problem that touches every industry and every company, but thankfully it is one that can be addressed effectively.”

Skeen says that presenteeism can occur for a number of reasons, but one primary cause is an employee who feels like their work doesn’t really matter or that their role in the company is too small to be important.

“When a worker feels like they are an invisible and unimportant part of their company, it’s easy for them to start feeling like their job doesn’t matter,” says Skeen. “One of the best ways to keep workers on task is to make sure that every employee feels as though they matter, not just as workers, but as human beings.”

Skeen also says that unclear systems of reward can also be problematic. “If an employee sees someone get a raise or a promotion who has not seemed to have logged as many hours, it can be very de-motivating. If workers don’t think that raises and promotions are given out fairly, they won’t see any purpose in giving 100% because they won’t believe that their efforts will be rewarded.”

Jack Skeen, Fortune 500 leadership coach and expert on leadership development also says, “Leaders also need to change their point-of-view from thinking ‘How can I get the most out of my employees?’ and instead start thinking ‘How can I GIVE the most to my employees?’ When you change your POV from one of taking and instead of one to giving, the entire energy of your workplace will change as a result. People will feel seen, valued and empowered, and they will be much more likely to be present and focused when they are on the job.”

For more on this topic or to speak to Jack Skeen, please contact me.