A Case of Disengagement Harper Jones is a 26 year old Marketing Coordinator at Marketable, Inc. She has been in the same role since graduating from college at 22. She works on a team of six other marketing employees, and her boss, David, oversees the entire group. Harper's career at Marketable, Inc. has been mostly manageable, until recently. Her prior boss, Jose, left six months ago, and she is upset because they really got along well. Jose was very forthcoming in his communication, and Harper always felt like she knew what was going on. Since Jose's departure, Harper has had to take on additional work to help cover some of his responsibilities, and now has a much harder time striking a work/life balance. She feels like she is always behind on her to-do list. What's more is her new boss, David, has less time to dedicate to helping her prioritize her work, or focusing on her development. He manages the whole team, so Harper understands that he has less time than Jose who only managed her and one other colleague. David seems less aware of the workload and stress Harper is dealing with, and doesn't seem to be available to help if Harper needs advice. Lately, Harper has told her friends that she is interested in leaving Marketable, Inc. because she is doing more work than ever and doesn't feel like she is being recognized for her contributions. She also thinks that it's been too long since Jose left without the company filling his role. She loves the work she does at Marketable, Inc., but there is too much of it, and she doesn't know how to change her situation.

1a What do you think is the most demotivating part of Harper's job?

1b If you were an HR manager meeting with Harper's supervisor, David, what advice would you give to help David re-engage Harper?

1c What would be the downside of losing Harper as an employee?