If you’re a Tidemark client, you’ve heard Dave Mashburn frequently
talk about workers “languishing” in the their jobs.   His observations have produced one of
the maxims we use to source candidates for our clients:

The individuals most likely to consider career change are
those who are languishing in their current jobs.

This observation is based upon research conducted by the
Gallup Organization.  The initial study
(conducted in 2000) painted a depressing picture of life in the American workforce.  Unfortunately, things are not getting
much better.  The Silicon Valley Mercury
News recently reported,  

“Seven out of 10
workers have ‘checked out’ at work or are ‘actively disengaged,’ according to a
recent Gallup survey.

In its ongoing survey of the American workplace, Gallup
found that only 30 percent of workers ‘were engaged, or involved in,
enthusiastic about, and committed to their workplace.’ Although that equals the
high in engagement since Gallup began studying the issue in 2000, it is
overshadowed by the number of workers who aren't committed to  performing at a
high level….

The poll, released last week, examined worker engagement
beginning in 2010 and ending in 2012. The previous poll period covered 2008
through 2010.

The survey classifies three types of employees among the 100
million people in America who hold full-time jobs. The first is actively
engaged, which represents about 30 million workers.  The second type of worker is "not
engaged," which accounts for 50 million. These employees are going through
the motions at work.

The third type, labeled "actively disengaged,"
hates going to work. These workers — about 20 million — undermine their
companies with their attitude, according to the report.

The general consciousness about the importance of employee
engagement seems to have increased in the past decade, but there is a gap
between knowing about engagement and doing something about it in most American
workplaces… 

The level of employee engagement over the past decade has
been largely stagnant, according to researchers.”

How can a hiring manager use this information to be more
successful at recruiting? 

First, recognize that almost all of the candidates you interview
or otherwise engage in the hiring process are languishing in their current
careers.

Secondly, use this information wisely.  We have written frequently in previous
WorkPuzzles about every person’s need to be “heard” before he/she will be able
to “hear” (i.e.. accept and internalize information) about any solutions you
may offer.

Of course, you can talk about a number of topics during an
interview (work history, career goals, strengths/weaknesses, etc.), but the one
you’ll get the most mileage from is languishing. 

If you’re able to quickly steer a recruiting conversation to
what’s going wrong in their current career (this typically take 20 to 30
minutes during an interview), you’ll earn the right to thoughtfully craft a
solution that is tailored to their unique needs.

A final thing to consider as you contemplate the role of
languishing in the hiring process: 

Some
of the most talented and desirable people you could ever hope to hire are
currently languishing in their careers.

The Gallup researchers went on to report:

“… different age groups and those with higher education
levels reported more discontent with their workplace. Millennials…, for
instance, are more likely to be 'actively disengaged' than other age
groups. Employees with college degrees are also more likely to be running on
auto pilot at work.”

This research is a goldmine for the real estate
industry.  Most real estate companies
know they must hire young, educated new agents to replace their aging
workforces who will retire over the next decade.  

The top end of the Millennial generation will turn 31 years old
this year.   Don’t miss the opportunity
to engage and hire these individuals.  An
understanding of languishing is a key building block to making that happen.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.