Frontline Supervisor Imperative: Bridging the Disconnect

In the previous blog post, we established there are four imperatives that are essential for the frontline supervisor to get ahead of the great resignation. The first of the four imperatives, Change Your Mindset, explained that before any major changes within an organization can occur, supervisors need to take a step back and analyze their current style of management. Employees can no longer be managed as a unit. Instead, one-on-one relationship building is the key to creating a positive and collaborative company culture. Once supervisors have received the proper training from upper-level management and have established healthy communication styles with team members, they are then ready to implement the next imperative: Bridge the Disconnect.

The Second Imperative: Bridge the Disconnect

Gallup is predicting that employee engagement will decline during 2022, potentially equaling levels from 10 years ago. At the same time, the quit rate, as measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, continues to be at an all-time high. What is causing employee disengagement?

The crucial reason is that many employees are no longer working in physical offices. As we’ve learned how to function out of the line of sight of teammates and company leaders, we have also found that connections and relationships have diminished. We took for granted that they would form automatically simply from being in the presence of others. What we have discovered is that it takes a high degree of intentional action to bridge disconnection. The result of failing to do so is that people may feel a lack of personalization, that they are simply an employee with no unique value or impact.

The Power of Feeling Welcomed

Employees want to feel welcomed, wanted and valued. Whose role in the future of work is most effectively positioned to communicate this? Imagine the “old days” of an office building with a front desk receptionist. They were front and center when employees entered on their first day, greeting and presenting a sense of welcoming on behalf of the organization. If they greeted new hires with a passive or unfriendly introduction it could create a sense of unease that would inevitably permeate throughout the employee’s onboarding with the company.

What is the parallel in a virtual work environment? Who do we say “hello” to as we virtually walk into work in the morning, and who meets us with a cheery “Hi” on our first day to set us at ease? Critical to communicating these values is the frontline management team. They should strive to create this feeling of acceptance that ties an employee to a company. This boost in morale is necessary as employees are anxious to leave positions where they do not feel valued.

What Steps Can the Supervisors Take?

To prevent a feeling of unwelcomeness within the working landscape, supervisors need to reflect on how they can create a curated experience for each team member and ultimately bridge the disconnect.

1. Take action now: don’t wait for employees to leave or come to you voicing concerns that they’re disconnected from their position.
2. Become an expert on the signs of disconnection. Analyze changes in your team and look for clues that employees are withdrawing or faltering in their performance.
3. Schedule regular meetings to check in with the team and use that time to encourage collaboration.

Final Thoughts

Frontline managers can help retain great talent by engaging with new hires from day one. Establishing connections, tuning into employee needs, and checking in with the team regularly are part of the foundation to creating value in the workplace. Stay tuned to learn the two other helpful imperatives to support your supervisors.