How to Tell If You’re An Engaged Employee

While no one sets out to be the employee who slides into their desk right at 9 a.m. and clocks out promptly at 5 p.m., it’s very easy for engagement levels to drop over time. You start out fired up and ready to take on new projects, only to find yourself counting the hours until you can leave as the months go on. If you’re unsure where you stand in terms of employee engagement, use the following traits as a barometer:

Engaged employees don’t feel entitled

Engaged employees don’t believe that they’re owed anything, whether it’s a raise, a spot on the best projects, or praise during a meeting. They’re more focused on the greater good of the company than they are on how they can benefit. Someone who’s become disengaged over time will be focused solely on how they stand to benefit, or how they can leverage a situation for their own personal gain.

Engaged employees don’t try to shift the blame

When you’re engaged at work, you’re willing to enjoy praise for successes and accept the consequences when things don’t go exactly according to plan. Instead of trying to pass blame off to colleagues, you’re ready to find a way to fix what went wrong and plan ahead so that these issues don’t happen again next time. Employees who have mentally checked out aren’t willing to accept criticism and will do anything to avoid it, even if it means throwing someone else under the bus unfairly.

Engaged employees want to represent their organization well

Employees who are truly engaged at work understand that they’re always acting as representatives of their employer, whether they’re in the office or not. This means that they always deal with clients in a pleasant manner, speak highly of their company, and act professionally. Employees who are disengaged will speak ill of their employer, get intoxicated at company events, or treat clients with disrespect simply because they don’t care about the consequences. Over time, this can do serious damage to the company’s reputation.

Employee engagement is a shared responsibility on the part of the employer and the staff member. When the company culture is positive and employees dedicate themselves to contributing productively to the office, both employer and employee stand to benefit.