The cost-cutting actions employers have made to deal with the economic crisis have left businesses with fractured teams of disengaged employees. Studies show that employee engagement levels have dropped significantly since 2008. According to Gallup, more than two-thirds of American workers are "not engaged" or "disengaged" in their workplaces in response to the brutal economic and workplace changes over the past two years.

"People are disillusioned with the economy and the fact that many of them are having to do more work with fewer people, thanks to layoffs," says Dianne Durkin, president of Loyalty Factor LLC, which consults with businesses on change management, employee loyalty and customer loyalty programs. "You would think employees would be more engaged because of the economy, but I don't think anybody is."

And a lack of engagement among employees is costly for small businesses, leading to high turnover rates, shaky leadership and a dearth of good ideas. "What happens is you don't get the creativity and the innovation," Durkin says. "People [who are unengaged] aren't going to speak up about issues they encounter, they're not going to bring new ideas, and productivity really suffers."

So how do you get employees engaged in unsettled times? Here are four ways that have worked for other small companies:

Ask For Help

Last year, when the economy was dragging and stress levels were soaring, New York-based telecommunications firm M5 Networks Inc. launched a year-long team growth program, "M5 Rock." The company's 100 employees were divided into 10 cross-functional teams from different parts of the organization, says president and CEO Dan Hoffman. In addition to competing in scavenger hunts and other teambuilding activities, the teams worked together on business issues such as developing new sales pitches and writing business plans for new products. Being asked for feedback and seeing that their ideas were valued led employees to become more invested in their jobs. After the program's end, Hoffman saw a 10-point increase on customer satisfaction surveys, as well as increases in employee satisfaction surveys."When you ask employees for their input in solving business issues, it is absolutely amazing what they will come up with," Durkin says.

Focus on a Purpose

At Everblue Training Institute, every employee knows the mission: to build the earth's most sustainable work force. Owner Jon Boggiano believes that educating workers for a green economy will promote energy security, build prosperity and safeguard the environment, and he regularly reminds employees of the difference they are making. Simply understanding and being reminded of the company's mission can help employees stay engaged, Durkin says. "Your work force needs to understand what your purpose in life is, beyond making money," she says. "Make it simple so people can identify with it, but you can really motivate people around these little statements that are very meaningful. "For inspiration, look at large companies that successfully focus on a simple purpose statement, such as Ritz-Carlton ("Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen") and Disney ("To use our imagination to bring happiness to millions").

Communicate Confidently

To keep employees engaged, ensure that employees understand the managers are in control and know exactly what they are doing. Durkin recently worked with a furniture manufacturing company with plans to triple revenues and output within the next few years. While she wanted to help motivate employees about management's plans, she also wanted to make sure they knew that they weren't overlooked in the quest for greater profits and that their roles in the process had been considered. "It's great to announce those plans, but people making eight, 10 or 15 dollars an hour can't identify with umpteen million dollars," Durkin says. "We sat down and outlined the steps and answered questions we knew they would have: How many people are we going to add? How much overtime will we have to work? Put yourself in their minds; think about what questions they will have. Just knowing that management has thought about the things they're concerned about makes a big difference.

"Recognize and Reward Good Work

Last spring, Hometown Quotes, an online service that matches consumers with local insurance agents, wanted to find a way to "keep morale high, engage our teams and break down silos throughout the organization," says Krista Farmer, communications manager for the company. The result was an incentive rewards program called the Q Point program, which recognizes employees for doing things like maintaining high customer satisfaction and keeping a keen eye on details. Each week, employees throughout the company submit Q Point nominations to the Q Point committee, which consists of three to five employees who review and discuss the nominations and award Q Points to nominated workers who clearly performed above and beyond their job description or exhibited out-of-the-box thinking. When an employee receives 10 points, he may turn them in for a paid half-day of vacation, or he may accumulate 20 points and exchange them for a full day of paid vacation time. Since launching the program, 13 of 24 Hometown Quotes employees have earned at least a half-day off. But recognizing good work doesn't have to be part of a formal program. At EAP Lifestyle Management LLC, owner Patricia Vanderpool and her management team regularly bring "little extras" to the office, such as Starbucks coffee or a drink from Sonic. At Payment Logistics Limited, Director of Sales Matt Bruno announces a goal at the beginning of the week, such as getting in a certain number of new applications. "Whoever meets that goal first gets lunch on me," Bruno says. "If they just meet the goal, they get a no-frills meal, but if they exceed the goal by a certain percentage, I take them to a higher end restaurant and get whatever they want.""It doesn't take much to get someone motivated," Durkin says. "Just pay attention to someone. Say 'Great job.' Ask what would make their day better--and then follow through if you can."

Many employees have become disengaged as the economic slump drags on. "People are disillusioned with the economy and the fact that many of them are having to do more work with fewer people, thanks to layoffs," said Dianne Durkin, president of Loyalty Factor. That can be particularly bad for small businesses, which often rely on the creativity and innovation of workers. Leaders should actively ask employees for their input and focus on a purpose, Durkin advises.

The cost-cutting actions employers have made to deal with the economic crisis have left businesses with fractured teams of disengaged employees. Studies show that employee engagement levels have dropped significantly since 2008. According to Gallup, more than two-thirds of American workers are "not engaged" or "disengaged" in their workplaces in response to the brutal economic and workplace changes over the past two years.

"People are disillusioned with the economy and the fact that many of them are having to do more work with fewer people, thanks to layoffs," says Dianne Durkin, president of Loyalty Factor LLC, which consults with businesses on change management, employee loyalty and customer loyalty programs. "You would think employees would be more engaged because of the economy, but I don't think anybody is."

And a lack of engagement among employees is costly for small businesses, leading to high turnover rates, shaky leadership and a dearth of good ideas. "What happens is you don't get the creativity and the innovation," Durkin says. "People [who are unengaged] aren't going to speak up about issues they encounter, they're not going to bring new ideas, and productivity really suffers."

So how do you get employees engaged in unsettled times? Here are four ways that have worked for other small companies:

Ask For Help
Last year, when the economy was dragging and stress levels were soaring, New York-based telecommunications firm M5 Networks Inc. launched a year-long team growth program, "M5 Rock." The company's 100 employees were divided into 10 cross-functional teams from different parts of the organization, says president and CEO Dan Hoffman. In addition to competing in scavenger hunts and other teambuilding activities, the teams worked together on business issues such as developing new sales pitches and writing business plans for new products. Being asked for feedback and seeing that their ideas were valued led employees to become more invested in their jobs. After the program's end, Hoffman saw a 10-point increase on customer satisfaction surveys, as well as increases in employee satisfaction surveys.

"When you ask employees for their input in solving business issues, it is absolutely amazing what they will come up with," Durkin says.

Focus on a Purpose
At Everblue Training Institute, every employee knows the mission: to build the earth's most sustainable work force. Owner Jon Boggiano believes that educating workers for a green economy will promote energy security, build prosperity and safeguard the environment, and he regularly reminds employees of the difference they are making.

Simply understanding and being reminded of the company's mission can help employees stay engaged, Durkin says. "Your work force needs to understand what your purpose in life is, beyond making money," she says. "Make it simple so people can identify with it, but you can really motivate people around these little statements that are very meaningful."

For inspiration, look at large companies that successfully focus on a simple purpose statement, such as Ritz-Carlton ("Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen") and Disney ("To use our imagination to bring happiness to millions").

Communicate Confidently
To keep employees engaged, ensure that employees understand the managers are in control and know exactly what they are doing.

Durkin recently worked with a furniture manufacturing company with plans to triple revenues and output within the next few years. While she wanted to help motivate employees about management's plans, she also wanted to make sure they knew that they weren't overlooked in the quest for greater profits and that their roles in the process had been considered.

"It's great to announce those plans, but people making eight, 10 or 15 dollars an hour can't identify with umpteen million dollars," Durkin says. "We sat down and outlined the steps and answered questions we knew they would have: How many people are we going to add? How much overtime will we have to work? Put yourself in their minds; think about what questions they will have. Just knowing that management has thought about the things they're concerned about makes a big difference."

Recognize and Reward Good Work
Last spring, HometownQuotes, an online service that matches consumers with local insurance agents, wanted to find a way to "keep morale high, engage our teams and break down silos throughout the organization," says Krista Farmer, communications manager for the company. The result was an incentive rewards program called the Q Point program, which recognizes employees for doing things like maintaining high customer satisfaction and keeping a keen eye on details. Each week, employees throughout the company submit Q Point nominations to the Q Point committee, which consists of three to five employees who review and discuss the nominations and award Q Points to nominated workers who clearly performed above and beyond their job description or exhibited out-of-the-box thinking. When an employee receives 10 points, he may turn them in for a paid half-day of vacation, or he may accumulate 20 points and exchange them for a full day of paid vacation time. Since launching the program, 13 of 24 HometownQuotes employees have earned at least a half-day off.

But recognizing good work doesn't have to be part of a formal program. At EAP Lifestyle Management LLC, owner Patricia Vanderpool and her management team regularly bring "little extras" to the office, such as Starbucks coffee or a drink from Sonic. At Payment Logistics Limited, Director of Sales Matt Bruno announces a goal at the beginning of the week, such as getting in a certain number of new applications. "Whoever meets that goal first gets lunch on me," Bruno says. "If they just meet the goal, they get a no-frills meal, but if they exceed the goal by a certain percentage, I take them to a higher end restaurant and get whatever they want."

"It doesn't take much to get someone motivated," Durkin says. "Just pay attention to someone. Say 'Great job.' Ask what would make their day better--and then follow through if you can."

By Dona DeZube, Monster Finance Careers Expert

 

You lowballed yourself during your salary negotiation and now your paycheck is smaller than you'd like. In some cases, you can go back and ask for a higher salary without jeopardizing your job, experts say.

Of course, the best time for negotiating salary is before you accept the job offer. Asking for more soon after you're hired is not without risk.

"Going back to renegotiate areas about which you have already agreed does have the risk of making you look like someone who doesn't honor your agreements," says Janet Civitelli, PhD, a workplace psychologist and career coach in Houston. "It can leave a bad taste in the mouth of the hiring manager and launch your relationship with your new boss on a sour note."

Instead of asking for more money, consider negotiating compensation and benefits not addressed in the initial round, such as a signing bonus, more vacation time, tuition reimbursement, professional memberships or a flexible schedule.

"This way, your total compensation package goes up and your reputation remains intact," Civitelli says.

Still want to go for it? Try one of these three negotiation strategies:

Argue Pay Parity

Sometimes you don't realize you should be earning more until you find out what your coworkers are getting. That's what happened to Ashley Baxter, a Texas marketing professional who found a male coworker was getting $10,000 more for doing less.

"I put my resume on the market and received a job offer from another company," she says. "I then went to my employer and let them know that I felt slighted by the way they treated my salary negotiation and did not appreciate being monetarily undervalued in comparison to my coworker who did less work."

She got an immediate 8 percent raise, but her relationship with her boss changed. "He became reluctant to approach me about everyday tasks and avoided emailing or talking to me unless it was absolutely necessary," Baxter says.

Three months later, she left for a job offering a better salary and benefits package. "I'm very glad I went through the experience, as it has given me the confidence to not be afraid of asking for what I deserve in business situations."
If you find out you're being underpaid compared with coworkers, try this line, says Michael Schatzki, a negotiation trainer and principal of Negotiation Dynamics in Far Hills, New Jersey: "You convinced me that this is all you could pay, and it turns out everyone is making $X more than me even though they have less experience. Can you explain to me what's going on?"

That statement will back the boss into a corner, so help him back out by saying, "I understand you were probably under pressure, but we need to fix this, right? We need to have equity, right?"

Have suggestions ready, such as a new title or a new area of responsibility that will bring you to where you should be financially while staying within company salary bands.

Get a Competing Offer

Using a competing offer to increase your current salary is a wonderful, but tricky strategy because nobody likes being threatened, says Lee Miller, author of Get More Money on Your Next Job…In Any Economy.

"Be nonthreatening, nice and positive and yet let them know that you know you're below market," he says.

A good line for this tactic comes from Richard Deems, PhD, coauthor of Make Job Loss Work for You: Get Over It and Get Your Career Back on Track: "I realized that this job is paying well under the market for what I do, and it's my fault for not asking for more going in. I have another job offer, but I don't want to take it because I love it here and working here is right for my career. In light of where the market is, can you adjust the salary to bring it more in line with the market?"

Don't have a competing offer? Don't lie and say you do. Use this line instead: "I have been talking to other professionals in this same position and they say the going rate is $X."

Blame It on the Cost of Living

If you're relocating, blame the high cost of living in the local market, says Dianne Durkin, president of Loyalty Factor, a corporate consulting and training firm in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Try this line: "After a more careful scrutiny of local financials, I underestimated the cost of living. Would it be possible for me to accept the position at X dollars?" And X should be no more than 10 percent higher than the original offer, Durkin says.

Not all companies will accept this strategy, so consider carefully whether it's worth pursuing, she adds.

Keep Looking

If you try one of these tactics and it doesn't work, be on guard. Work extra hard to repair any damage you may have done to your relationship with your new boss. Keep your resume updated, your network fired up and continue to seek better-paying opportunities.