Beckie Jorgensen was recently interviewed Business Innovators Radio about her strengths-based approach to work. Jorgensen uses a tool called Strengths Finder 2.0 to help individuals identify their unique strengths and offer some insight on how to best use those strengths in the workplace. βOne of the greatest outcomes from Strengths Finder is increased employee engagement,β Jorgensen shares.
According to Jorgensen, there are three types of employees in the United States; actively engaged employees, disengaged employees, and actively disengaged employees. Actively engaged employees are happy, productive, and contribute to the health of the organization. Disengaged employees are those who are typically just going through the motions at work and are likely there just to collect a paycheck. Actively disengaged employees are those who are unhappy, use a lot of sick time, and have a negative effect on the organization.
The fact that there are these three types of employees is not surprising, or even particularly concerning, but the statistics Jorgensen shares are cause for concern. β30 percent of US workers are engaged in their jobs. 70 percent of US workers fall within the categories of disengaged or actively disengaged,β states Jorgensen.
She posits that the reason for such a high percentage of disengaged employees is that the culture of the workplace continues to shift one that focuses on the competencies needed in a particular position, rather than looking at a team as a whole and assigning work based on individual strengths. Coupled with this focus on job descriptions instead of people is the tendency to concentrate on what was done wrong rather than what was done right, and doing more of that.
Based on research done by Gallup, the creators of Strengths Finder 2.0, we know that employees who are hired and managed based on strengths are six times more likely to be engaged in their job. Employees who are able to use their strengths at work are also shown to have higher productivity and are more three times more likely to report a higher quality of life.
To listen to the interview in its entirety, visit: http://businessinnovatorsmagazine.com/beckie-jorgensen-leading-with-strengths/
About Beckie Jorgensen
Beckie Jorgensen is a corporate trainer, executive coach and Certified Strengths Coach based in Mesa, Arizona. After spending 15 years as a Certified Human Resources Professional in Corporate America, Jorgensen left the office behind in an effort to have a greater impact on employee engagement and leadership development. For more information about Beckie Jorgensen, visit: http://beckiejorgensen.com/.
