Nurturing Loyalty: Recognising and Addressing Signals of Disloyal Employee

Identifying Signals of Potential Disloyal Employee

To maintain our organization’s integrity and performance, we have pinpointed several behaviours that could signal an employee’s loyalty might be shifting:

• Frequent LinkedIn Profile Updates: An employee’s constant readiness to explore new opportunities may suggest they are not fully committed to their current role. This behaviour is often one of the earliest indicators of a potential intention to leave.

• Pursuing Irrelevant Skills: When employees acquire skills that do not align with their current roles, it might indicate they are preparing for a career path outside the organisation. This pursuit can hint at a lack of long-term commitment to the company’s goals.

• Pay Negotiation Tactics: The use of hypothetical offers from other companies as leverage in negotiations can suggest a weakening allegiance to the organisation. This tactic often reflects a prioritisation of personal gain over collective success.

• Premature Negotiations: Early requests for discussions about salary or role changes often highlight an individual’s self-interest, potentially at the expense of the team or organisational harmony.

• Self-serving Suggestions: Proposing ideas or changes that predominantly benefit the employee’s career trajectory, rather than aligning with company interests, can create conflicts and disrupt team dynamics.

• Excessive Criticism: Regular, empathy-lacking criticism of colleagues can significantly erode team unity and morale. This behaviour not only affects team cohesion but also the overall workplace atmosphere.

• Inopportune Private Conversations: Engaging in private discussions during crucial work moments can lead to a compromise in focus and productivity, detracting from the team’s ability to achieve collective goals.

• Training and Indispensability as Leverage: A particularly concerning behaviour is when employees, upon becoming integral to the organisation through training and development, use their indispensability as a bargaining chip for higher compensation. This approach represents a significant challenge in balancing the empowerment of employees with the need to maintain organisational loyalty and unity.

• Resistance to Team Development and Mentorship: Demonstrating reluctance or outright refusal to share knowledge with or mentor emerging team members, coupled with requests to remove these individuals from the team, especially if they are perceived as a threat. This behavior not only hinders team growth and cohesion but also signals a disloyal stance towards the team’s and organization’s future success

Addressing Disloyalty: Strategies for Reinforcement

Recognising these behaviours is only the first step. It’s crucial to address them thoughtfully to reinforce our team’s commitment to our collective goals. Here are strategies to consider:

• Open Dialogue: Foster an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their career aspirations and any concerns, which can preemptively address some of the disloyalty indicators.

• Career Development Opportunities: Align employees’ growth within the organisation with their personal and professional goals to increase their engagement and loyalty.

• Recognition and Reward: Regularly acknowledge and reward contributions and achievements, reinforcing the value of each team member to the organisation.

• Constructive Feedback: Provide timely and constructive feedback, including addressing behaviours that may indicate disloyalty, in a manner that encourages positive change.

• Team Building: Invest in team-building activities that strengthen bonds and improve team cohesion, making the workplace a more unified and supportive environment.

• We recommend more specific reading in our services:  CRM Strategy  –  AI Employee Sentiment – Business Culture – Market Intelligence for Staff