Does your colleague groan and grunt every time he sets foot in the office? Is he struggling with his cognitive skills? Are his eyes bloodshot and bulging? Be careful, you may be rubbing elbows with a zombie, i.e., an employee who is completely disembodied from his work!
Unfortunately, this profile is all too common in the workplace these days. Numerous employees, whether voluntarily or not, reduce their level of engagement towards the company as a result of accumulated frustration
These individuals fail to find meaning in their work, discouraged by the fact that their efforts remain unrecognized, or they are tired at the lack of accountability or being micromanaged, or maybe they are frustrated that they are not rewarded for initiative or no longer part of the decision-making process.
Therefore, they avoid taking responsibilities or going the extra mile, an attitude that severely impacts the company at all levels. Think about the lost productivity, increased absenteeism and overall lack of commitment towards customers.
Furthermore, the consequences of this behaviour creates additional pressure on their coworkers who need to do more in order to fill the void, which inevitably leads to increased employee turnover and the loss of competent staff members.
How can you avoid this trend? Develop a people-first HR strategy that leaves room for initiative and rewards autonomy. Make them feel like they are part of a team, something bigger than the sum of its parts, where there is opportunity for personal and professional at every level of the organization.
As a last resort, you may want to keep a flamethrower handy, as fire is the only proven way to kill zombies!