From Disengaged to Empowered: Strategies to Reignite Your Workforce

June 10, 2025 | HR Solutions

Despite the critical impact of employee engagement on business performance, many firms fail to recognize the significant financial toll of disengaged workers—silently draining their bottom line. Disengaged employees are, on average, 18% less productive than their engaged counterparts, which leads to noticeable declines in team output, missed goals, and reduced overall efficiency (Vantage Circle, 2025). As such, it is imperative to address this growing crisis in order to sustain productivity, profitability, and long-term organizational health. What Disengagement Looks Like             Picture this: A high-performing sales director slowly began showing signs of disengagement: missing key meetings, offering fewer insights, and taking longer to respond to client needs. At first, the decline was subtle, but as weeks passed, the sales pipeline thinned, client relationships weakened, and team morale dipped. By the time upper management intervened, revenue projections were off-track and several major accounts were at risk. This is the reality of employee disengagement. Damage to Culture and Morale Employee disengagement never affects solely one employee. Instead, it generates a domino effect that can hinder the logistics and dynamics of an organization as a whole (Vantage Circle, 2025). Spreading like a virus, employee disengagement leads to underperformance, missed deadlines, and a decline in the quality of work. This, in consequence, impacts team cohesion and culture, creating burnout for engaged team members who must fill in the productivity gap. The Real Cost             This staggering figure puts the issue into sharp perspective: disengagement isn’t just a workplace problem—it’s a global economic threat. In 2024 alone, it cost the world economy $438 billion, highlighting the urgent need for organizations to take action (Gallup, 2024). Additionally, according to the Work Institute’s 2022 Retention Report, each instance of employee turnover costs employers an average of $15,000 to $20,000. The report also reveals a broader trend: in 2021 alone, turnover cost U.S. employers over $700 billion—a figure that has more than doubled since 2009, underscoring the escalating financial burden of failing to retain talent. Key HR Solutions At Fisher, we understand that employee disengagement isn’t just a morale issue—it’s a business risk. That’s why our work is centered on helping organizations address the root causes of disengagement through targeted, strategic interventions.

Culture & Engagement Strategy

We help organizations build cultures that resonate. That starts with Company Values and Mission Alignment—making sure every employee knows what the company stands for and how their work contributes to the bigger picture. Additionally, through regular Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Surveys, we help you listen to what really matters and make changes that truly matter.

Employee Engagement & Retention

Keeping great people means giving them reasons to stay. We implement Regular Feedback and Engagement Tools to keep conversations open and meaningful, not just during annual reviews. With Career Development and Growth Planning, we help employees map a future they’re excited about within your organization. And with thoughtful Rewards and Recognition Programs, we make sure effort, impact, and loyalty never go unnoticed.             References: Gallup. (2025). State of the global workplace: Understanding employees, informing leaders (2025 report). Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx Vantage Circle. (2025, March 20). The cost of disengaged employees in the workplace. https://www.vantagecircle.com/en/blog/cost-of-disengaged-employees/ Work Institute. (2022). 2022 retention report: How employers caused the great resignation. Work Institute. https://workinstitute.com/retention-report