The Hidden Dangers Of Ignoring Employees

Jul 25

This article was originally published on Forbes.

Jaclyn Wainwright is the cofounder and CEO of Aircare Health.

It's no surprise that workplace harassment is damaging to employee morale, trust and retention. In a 2023 survey of U.S. employees, 57% of respondents cited harassment or misconduct as a reason for leaving their company. It’s clear that harassment has a significant negative impact on an organization. Yet, there’s a more insidious and under-explored threat lurking in our workplaces: being ignored.

As leaders, we should be concerned about the prevalence of workplace harassment and invested in eliminating it in our organizations. But what may come as a surprise is that being ignored at work can actually be more detrimental to an employee's overall well-being than being harassed. One study found that ostracism—being ignored or excluded—was much more likely than bullying to lead to job dissatisfaction, turnover and health problems.

A Disconnected Workforce

This insight sheds light on a crisis facing employers today: a workforce that shows up but feels unseen, unheard and disconnected from their work. The impact of this problem extends far beyond individual companies, potentially affecting our collective ability to address global challenges and foster economic growth and societal progress.

Feeling a sense of belonging and purpose is a fundamental human need. Historically, the workplace has contributed to fulfilling this need, providing a source of community and shared goals and experiences. In recent years, however, we’ve seen dramatic changes in what it means to build a workforce community and engage as an employee in workplace settings.

While this is certainly true of in-person work, in an era of increasingly remote and hybrid work, there are now more opportunities for employees to feel isolated or forgotten. We have to be intentional about our words and actions to ensure we're not inadvertently alienating team members simply because we're not paying attention. Even though accidentally excluding teammates may seem innocuous, it can lead to deeper problems that have broad ripple effects throughout the organization and beyond.

In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a “global public health concern,” emphasizing that not only does social isolation have negative physical and mental health repercussions for individuals, but it also harms communities and societies as a whole. It’s more important than ever for workplaces to provide employees with care, safety and community.

The Power Of Employee Engagement

The seemingly simple act of overlooking or dismissing employees has an outsized impact on employee engagement and business operations.

Employees are living in complicated times, juggling competing societal, mental and physical health and family pressures that can hurt on-the-job performance. At the same time, managers are ill-equipped to support their workforce through such complex issues, often lacking the necessary tools to help those in need. Serious workplace issues such as presenteeism, absenteeism and quiet quitting are all downstream impacts of a lack of engagement.

More critically, employee engagement is directly tied to company profitability and success, so business leaders who care about the long-term viability of their enterprise cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this issue. Based on a meta-analysis of 456 global research studies, Gallup found that employee engagement is tied to 11 performance outcomes, including productivity, profitability, customer loyalty, turnover, absenteeism and employee well-being. Gallup’s research also showed that employees who strongly agree that their employer cares about their well-being are three times more likely to be engaged at work, 69% less likely to be actively job hunting, 71% less likely to experience significant burnout and 36% more likely to be thriving in general.

Best Practices For Fostering Connection

The antidote to ignoring is building genuine connection. We must focus on cultivating authentic, supportive relationships within our teams.

1. Dispel Misconceptions

Acknowledge that ignoring employees is not harmless. If you tend to have a laissez-faire or conflict-avoidant management style, you might sidestep bringing up touchy subjects or giving critical feedback. But the old maxim, “If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all” doesn’t apply here. Don’t avoid important conversations just because they are difficult.

2. Be Proactive

Stop expecting your employees to initiate the search for solutions. Be proactive about engaging with them regularly so that they feel seen and heard, and consider partnering with an organization that specializes in this kind of engagement.

Employers often excel at providing access to point solutions that target big cost-drivers, such as

health benefits or training and development initiatives, but these solutions remain vastly underutilized because they require employees to take the first step to seek help.

It’s challenging enough for healthy people to seek support, but for those struggling with underlying mental, emotional or social health challenges, this can feel like an insurmountable task. We have to change how we manage people—employees need leaders to lean in, connect with others and practice authentic noticing. Ensure that managers can easily refer employees to the tools, services and benefits that can support them with everyday struggles.

3. Use Languages Of Appreciation

Find ways to notice, respect and reward teammates for the skills, mindsets and contributions they bring to a team and the organization as a whole. Just as people have different "love languages," employees have different ways they prefer to receive recognition. Train managers to recognize and use different "languages of appreciation" such as words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service and tangible gifts. Conduct surveys to identify each team member's preferred language.

4. Establish Regular Check-Ins

Create an environment where feedback, both positive and constructive, is a regular part of work life. Implement ongoing check-ins and feedback sessions that provide a safe space for open dialogue about challenges and opportunities, goals and expectations, and professional development and growth. It’s a simple way to demonstrate that you value them because you’re investing your time and attention into helping them improve.

5. Create Opportunities For Connection

Design team-building activities that promote inclusiveness and appreciation. Coach managers to build strong, authentic connections with their teams, since having genuine work relationships increases engagement with employees, and research shows that it’s becoming increasingly important to have friends at work.

One of the simplest and most consequential things we can do as leaders is take the time to notice our employees. We (rightfully) spend so much time on policies and training to prevent harassment and discrimination in the workplace, yet we overlook the silent damage caused by neglect. We must remember that our employees are not just resources but individuals—human beings—with a fundamental need for recognition and connection. By cultivating a culture of genuine care and attention, we can transform our workplaces into thriving communities where no one feels invisible.