How to make smarter hiring decisions to avoid disengagement

New report outlines recommendations to avoid 'costly disengagement' in workforce

BY Dexter Tilo 18 Sep 2024

Making smart recruitment decisions is critical to avoid a costly case of disengagement in the future, according to a white paper.

The paper, released by Humanforce, underscored that engaged employees are usually in sync with what their organisation is trying to achieve.

"This synchronicity is often referred to as the psychological contract between the employer and employee," the paper stated. "It may be unspoken but it's vital to employees feeling they 'belong' and can bring their whole selves to work."

This synchronicity can also be established as early as the recruitment process, according to the paper.

"If there is misalignment between the worker and the company in regards to the role, the company culture, the management style, or the mission or the values, employees won't be committed from the start and will become disengaged as their initial expectations are never met," the paper read.

Making smart recruitment decisions

To make smarter hiring decisions that will prevent a case of disengagement in the future, the report made the following recommendations:

Be clear on your company's culture and hire in line with this benchmark.
Evaluate a candidate's work preferences, motivational drivers and behaviours, and contrast this information with the organisation's fit requirements/benchmarks.
Provide candidates with a preview of the job with realistic work scenarios in the pre-selection process so they can either opt in or out of it depending on how well it aligns with what they're looking for in a job or work environment.

'Costly' disengagement cases

The paper made the following recommendations on smart recruitment as it revealed that disengaged employees are "costly."

"Sources indicate that disengagement is estimated to cost a company 34% of the employee's salary," the report read. "On a median salary of $1,748 per week ($98,000 per year), that is $33,320 per year."

In addition to making smart hiring decisions, Humanforce made further recommendations to prevent and reverse disengagement in the workforce. Read about them here.