3 ways to destroy employees’ motivation—and how to stop

Employers always look for ways to boost employee engagement and get the best out of their people.

But even so, many inadvertently cause workers to disengage. Are you guilty of any of these common motivation killers?

1. Pretending to listen

I’ve never met an employee who said, “I really love taking employee surveys,” or “My employer has a great employee survey process!” Yet people say they want to be heard. In theory, surveys should facilitate that.

What’s wrong?

Most employers don’t realize that when they ask for feedback, they’re starting a conversation. Like in any conversation, the employer should listen and engage in an information exchange. Instead of making employee feedback a springboard for dialogue, employers publish the findings in a report months later, or never speak of them.