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articles & white papers on
Talent Retention Team
Building
& Workplace Satisfaction
http://www.news-journalonline.com
Daytona
Beach News-Journal - Daytona,FL,USA
February 06, 2006
By DONNA CALLEA
Communication is key to employee
satisfaction
Happy
workers. They're every boss's dream. Or should be.
People who
feel valued, respected, listened-to and essential to the success of an
organization, tend to be more productive, according to Ron Hess, a Port
Orange-based national expert on employee communications. They like coming to
work and are good for a company's bottom line, he said.
Trouble is,
these days a significant number of workers are neither very happy nor very
productive. Last week the U.S. Labor Department reported that employee productivity
-- the amount of output per hour of work -- fell 0.6 percent during the final
three months of 2005. Which is not a good sign. Meanwhile, recent national
studies have found job satisfaction is also on the downslide. Half of all
workers are unhappy with their jobs, according to a survey released last year by
The Conference Board, a New-York-based business research group. Only 14 percent
of workers described themselves as very satisfied with their jobs.
"You don't
see as many smiling faces," Hess said. Employees today feel a lot more
pressure, tension and stress than in the past, he noted, which can negatively
impact performance. But it doesn't have to be that way, contended the former
employee communications manager for General Electric. Hess now provides
managerial training and consulting services to such clients as Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals, Texas Instruments and the Federal Reserve Board.
The key can
be as simple as forging open, honest, trusting and friendly relationships
between managers and the people who report to them, he said. In other words, a
supervisor shouldn't wait until annual evaluation time to tell a worker he or
she has been doing a lousy job all year. There should be an ongoing give and
take of ideas, sharing of information and goals, airing of problems and
concerns, and as much positive feedback as possible.
Technology,
such as e-mailing, can be useful in relaying information, Hess said. But it
can't and shouldn't replace personal interaction. "The objective is to show
people you care about them," he stressed, which helps create a better and more
productive workplace.
Jerry Tarnow,
materials manager at Thompson Pump in Port Orange, where he has 25 people
reporting to him, couldn't agree more. "I tell everybody they have to look
forward to coming to work or they're in the wrong place," said Tarnow, who's been with the company nine years. "I'm just a
firm believer that if you're not having a good time and you're not happy, you're
not going to do a good job." He said he makes sure those working for him know
what's expected of them as part of the team. But
Tarnow
also makes it his business to get to know his people as human beings.
Tim Branz,
information systems director at DuvaSawko in Daytona Beach, said his managerial
role models include some of the baseball coaches and teachers he's had. Their
mission was "to see the people they 'manage' manage themselves according to the
goals trying to be accomplished," said Branz, whose department has five people.
"Like any good baseball manager or teacher who takes the time to know the
strengths and weaknesses of a player or student, I try and do the same with my
colleagues . . .," he noted, through a combination of observation, project
results and "genuine casual conversation."
Developing
such relationships "is not just a nice thing to do," Hess said. It's also makes
good sense for business.
http://money.cnn.com
CNN/Money - USA
November 15, 2005
Only 14%
of workers fully engaged on job
International study:
Mexico has highest level
of fully engaged employees, Japan has lowest.
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A new study
of employees worldwide finds that only 14 percent are fully engaged on the job
and willing to put in extra effort for their companies.
The high levels of disengagement suggest that there
is untapped "employee performance potential," according to Towers Perrin's HR
Services, which conducted the survey.
In the United States, 21 percent of employees were
fully engaged last year, not significantly changed from 22 percent in 2003.
"Employees in the United States feel they've hung in
during the tough years," noted Julie Gebauer, Managing Director at Towers
Perrin's HR Services. "They don't think they've seen enough in terms of pay
raises, incentives or other rewards for their contributions -- despite hearing
lots of talk about 'pay for performance.'
The study found major differences in employee
engagement across countries, with the highest levels in Brazil (31 percent) and
Mexico (40 percent). The lowest levels were in the Asian countries in the survey
-- South Korea (9 percent), China (8 percent), India (7 percent)and Japan (2
percent).
"For the first time ever, we've given a voice to the
workforce worldwide," noted Donald Lowman, a Managing Director of Towers Perrin.
"What we're hearing is that people want to contribute more. But they say their
leaders unintentionally put obstacles in their paths."
Among the highly engaged employees, 84 percent
reported that they thought they could positively impact their company's
products, while only 31 percent of disengaged employees said the same.
Towers Perrin surveyed over 85,000 people working for
large and midsize companies across 16 countries.
http://www.globeandmail.com
By
VIRGINIA GALT
November 15, 2005
Employees becoming less 'engaged' as they seek payback for
sacrifices made
Fewer workers willing to put in 110%
Canadian employees
are becoming less "engaged" in their work and more likely to bolt because they
have seen little payback for sacrifices they made when times were tougher,
according to a study to be released today.
Only 17 per cent of Canadian employees are "highly engaged" and
willing to put in extra effort, down from 21 per cent two years ago, Towers
Perrin HR Services found in a recent survey of 5,100 Canadian employees. "Improving
profitability may actually be exacerbating the problem because employees appear
resentful that they are not seeing rewards for their focus and commitment during
the tough years, when rewards were lean," the survey found.
Kevin Aselstine, the
firm's managing principal in Toronto, said yesterday the job market has
improved, making it easier for disenchanted employees to leave in search of a
better deal. However, he added,
the grass is not always greener elsewhere -- few employers are "getting it
right," in spite of growing recognition that employee engagement affects
performance and productivity.
Candidates are
attracted to companies that offer competitive base pay, work/life balance,
career advancement opportunities, competitive benefits and challenging work, the
survey found. However, if employers
want these employees to stay and perform above and beyond the call of duty, they
need to do a better job of managing, Mr. Aselstine said. "Companies have a
vast reserve of untapped potential in their people, but are failing to create
workplace conditions needed to capture that potential," Towers Perrin said in
reporting results of a global survey that polled employees in 16 countries,
including Canada.
In Canada, the
factors that have the most influence on employee engagement include: senior
management interest in employee well-being; opportunities for employees to
improve their skills and capabilities; an organization's reputation as a good
employer; an organizational focus on customer satisfaction; employee input into
decision making; fair and consistent pay policies; and an "appropriate amount"
of decision-making authority for employees.
Mr. Aselstine said
"employability" is a big issue with employees. They want professional
development opportunities that make them more valuable to their own
organizations -- but that also make them more attractive to other employers. However, he added,
organizations that invest in employee development have a better chance of
retaining their top performers than those that do not.
The survey found that
engagement levels vary widely around the world but, globally, only 14 per cent
of employees are highly engaged. The highest levels of engagement were reported
in Mexico, where 40 per cent of employees said they were highly motivated to put
in extra effort and in Brazil, where 31 per cent said they were highly engaged.
"Engagement levels are lowest in China (8 per cent), India (7 per cent), Japan
(2 per cent) and [South] Korea (9 per cent)," reported Towers Perrin, which did
not speculate on the reasons for such widespread disengagement in those
countries.
http://www.fedsmith.com
FedSmith.com - USA
9/15/2005
Federal
Employees Happier But Still Lag Private Sector
As
we reported yesterday,
a new survey has been released by the Partnership for
Public Service and American University ranking the best federal government
agencies to work for throughout the federal government. The gist of the report
is that federal employees are generally happier than they were in the last
survey and employee satisfaction ratings are improving rapidly. Obviously, there
are federal employees who are unhappy and complain about a multitude of topics
from pay to managerial competence to fears about having to work in a "pay for
performance" system in the near future.
As often happens, those that are unhappy often speak out first and the first
comments received from unhappy readers took issue with the report and questioned
its validity. Here is the basis for the validity of the report. The survey
results were based on interviews by the Office of Personnel Management with some
150,000 federal employees across 250 federal organizations.
Here are some of the highlights of the survey results:
- In
2005, one out of every three federal agencies scored higher in employee
satisfaction and engagement than the private sector average, compared to just
one of eight agencies in 2003.
-
Compared to workers in the private sector, federal employees are more likely
to say they know that their work relates to the organization’s mission, their
supervisors are supportive in balancing work and life issues, and the people
they work with cooperate to get things done.
-
Overall, 75 percent of federal organizations experienced an increase in their
scores between 2003 and 2005.
-
The three large agencies with the highest scores are the Office of Management
and Budget (77.5), National Science Foundation (74.9) and the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (74.8).
-
The three subcomponents and small agencies with the highest scores are the
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (81.2), and the San Francisco
(80.5) and Seattle (78.4) regional offices of the Environmental Protection
Agency.
- On
average, employee engagement is up nine percent at the 30 largest federal
agencies and five percent at smaller agencies and subcomponents.
Satisfaction with the workplace still lags behind the private sector though. One
out of eight federal agencies scored higher than the private sector in the last
survey two years ago. This time around, one out of three federal agencies scored
higher than private companies. Federal agencies scored higher than private
companies in balancing work and family issues. Federal employees also work
together better than their private sector counterparts to get things done and
federal employees have a stronger link to the work they do with the overall
mission of the organization according to the survey.
The biggest gap between agencies and companies was in rewarding high performing
employees and resolving disputes fairly. In these areas, the government falls
short.
This creates an interesting conundrum.
In a recent survey, FedSmith.com
readers said they prefer the current civil service structure in which everyone
receives the same basis pay raise to a pay for performance system which would
presumably reward higher performing employees more than those who did not
perform as well. At the same time, one of the biggest failing of government in
the survey results is that the government does not reward its best performers as
well as the private sector.
No doubt, it will be interesting to see future results. While fear is rampant
among federal employees in working under a "pay for performance" system rather
than the current structure which relies largely on seniority, a revised civil
service structure (which
our surveys show readers think will happen) is likely to have an
impact on key components of future survey results.
http://www.expertclick.com
North Wales, PA
19454
September 13 2005
What Will Happen If We Don't
Repair Employee Morale? 10 Tips for Repair Now
Employee
and manager morale dipped even further toward the end of 2002, and the current
climate that businesses are operating in does not offer any promising
turnaround. Businesses are too focused on the negative, and economic threats,
terrorist threats, the war, etc. are contributing to a continued downward spiral
in morale. Studies have proven that the morale of a company's workforce is
directly linked to profitability. Low morale - low profits. High morale - high
profits. This is because workers who are happy in their job and with their
employer perform better, resulting in higher and improved productivity and
profitability.
Prior to all the
terrorist activity and outbreak of war, it was mostly the workers whose morale
was poor, but now management is showing signs of concern and their lack of
optimism does nothing for the existing morale of their workers. What is even
more alarming is if management has this attitude, it will confirm in their
employee's minds that any effort is futile, so what's the use? What does all
this mean? Well, apart from a larger number of unhappy people in the workforce,
if immediate steps are not taken to boost morale, few businesses will see any
respectable profits within the next six months. If management and workers are
both coming from a place of negativity, it spells serious trouble for business.
Surveys performed
by Gallup have shown that the old-fashioned methods of offering financial
incentives, company cars, etc. do not produce long term benefits. Their research
has found that as many as two-thirds to three-quarters of people employed in
Sales, for example, are performing at much lower standards, which has a
detrimental affect on the entire business. Add to this a management that agrees
with them and you can see the trouble for which they're headed.
Employees and
managers need to feel emotionally attached to their work and their employer in
positive and uplifted ways. Senior management needs to convey optimism and send
that down the line, with a message that conveys strength and security. They need
to encourage and show frequent appreciation of every employee's efforts, and
find ways of helping employees work in jobs that utilize natural talents. Both
employees and management need to know that what they are doing is highly
appreciated, that opportunities for advancement and self-growth are available
within and by the company, and they need to come to work in a happy and positive
environment.
It is a mistake to
think that morale will improve when business picks up, or the war is over. Of
course, these things do have an impact on company morale, but for a long term
improvement, focus needs to be placed on the individual within the organization.
When everybody goes to work and loves what they do and where they work, their
productivity is high which produces the profitable results for the business. The
challenge is matching employees to roles in which they can and will shine –
sometimes it is possible to modify existing roles to bring out the best in the
employee, and other times it may require a transfer to a different position or
department. In any case, consultation with the employee is important.
More and more
companies are hiring professional Coaches to establish methods by which employee
and management morale will be permanently boosted and profitability assured.
Many H.R. professionals are seeing the benefits in the Coaching procedure and
are learning coaching skills to use within their organization. But for those
businesses that choose to try and sort it out themselves, they can take steps
that are definitely in the right direction.
-
Research and
analyze, with employee and management participation, to determine just what
factors are at play that affect morale within their organization. You will
find this includes things that involve individual satisfaction with work roles
right through to ineffective company policies and practices or lack of clear
direction, poor management, etc. Brainstorm ways in which grievances and
complaints that affect morale can be turned around – put in place improved
methods and let it be seen by employees and management alike that procedures
are in progress that address these issues. Openly invite and encourage honest
employee feedback.
Motivate employees and management – ask for their ideas on
motivational practices, rewards, etc. that they consider valuable and
implement those that can be implemented. Recent research has indicated that
company paid-for training is more highly regarded by employees than the
provision of a company car. Training and the continuous upgrading of skills
and education more readily assures an employees future employability and
promotional prospects, whereas a company car does neither.
Always show appreciation to every employee, no matter where they are
on the ladder. Let staff know you take pride in them and their efforts. Make a
fuss over success – acknowledge successes openly.
-
Self-empower.
Encourage individuals to take responsibility for their work roles and to feel
free to suggest and implement ways in which procedures might be improved. Let
them have a hand in setting job goals.
Prepare a new company mission statement – but this time include the
active participation of every employee – this allows them to feel involved in
the future direction of the company.
-
Promote a "family"
atmosphere, encourage workers to care about each other, to support each other
and trust each other. Suggest such things as car pooling, or develop a Social
Club. Offer barbecues.
-
Promote pride in the
company. Employees today are concerned with the values and ethics of their
employers. Ensure the company is one in which the employees can take pride.
-
Show interest in
individuals – permit them to be 'human' during work hours. It is not possible
to leave personal issues 'at home' – it doesn't work that way. People
appreciate care being shown to them and assistance to deal with personal
issues. Today's manager must also be an adviser, counselor, coach, trainer and
a good listener!
-
Find other ways in
which life can be made more pleasant and easier for employees. This can be
organizing affordable daycare facilities for children, flexible work
timetables, gym memberships, weight loss program assistance, counseling, etc.
-
Show loyalty. Before
laying off employees, discuss with their department ways in which layoffs
might be avoided. Let it be seen that the company really is trying to avoid
laying off anybody. Some people may even suggest a cut in pay for the short
term until business picks up, in order that everyone may still keep their job.
You'd be surprised how inventive employees can be, given the opportunity. Let
employees know that promotional opportunities are available and help them
achieve their goals.
BONUS TIP:
-
Finally, how is the
working environment? The workplace should be safe and pleasant. Don't expect
employees to use outdated, faulty equipment or furniture. Ensure
air-conditioning and heating systems function correctly, and noise levels are
acceptable. Are there adequate car parking facilities? Is the area well lit?
And with anxieties at an all time high regarding increased terrorist activity,
make sure you have emergency procedures in place to protect the workforce in
the event of an attack, and ensure every employee is aware of these
procedures.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and an improved morale will not happen overnight. A
key factor in boosting morale and productivity is employee participation in
making and/or changing rules and procedures/policies. Having a say makes them
feel "part" of the company and gives them a vested interest in outcomes. Having
a loyal and motivated staff will produce innumerable benefits, including
increased productivity and the resultant increase in profitability.
Pay rises and
bonuses are soon forgotten, but ongoing praise, self-worth, a sense of
importance and achievement last forever. When you acknowledge and reward good
behaviors, you get more of the same. It may be something as simple as the way an
employee answers the phone, or neat work, or timely completion of tasks, or
working overtime one day, or providing good customer service. Every positive
behavior should be acknowledged publicly and verbally. Sometimes, on special
occasions, a hand-written thank you from the CEO or President is appreciated.
Some kind of employee recognition program could be designed by which individuals
are given wide recognition for their efforts.
To get out of the
slump, businesses can not afford to wait around until they're certain the war is
over and they're safe from another terrorist attack, and with or without these
fears, there are definite steps that can be taken now and which will make a huge
difference to a company's performance. It may sound trite to repeat that people
really are a company's best asset, but time and research has found that this is
the truth, so whether a business intends to make a profit in the next 6 months,
or scrape by in mediocrity, really will depend on how they treat their best
asset.
Written by Terri
Levine, MCC, PCC, MS, CCC-SLP, the President of Comprehensive Coaching U –
The Professional's Coach Training Program, a popular Master Certified personal
and business Coach, Public Speaker, and Bestselling Author of "Stop Managing,
Start Coaching", "Work Yourself Happy" & "Coaching for an Extraordinary Life".
She can be contacted via the website http://www.ComprehensiveCoachingU.com or by
telephone: 877-401-6165.
Inc.com
- New York,NY,USA
By:
Christina Galoozis
June 8, 2005
Employees View Leadership Through Lens of
Work-Life Balance
According to a
recent study, employees who strike a good balance between work and home have
more confidence in company leaders. If your employees have trouble balancing
work and life, odds are they have less confidence in you as a corporate leader,
a new study shows. The study, administered by Chicago-based employee research
firm ISR, polled more than 50,000 U.S. workers from various markets, including
professional services, consumer goods, and financial services.
According
to the study, employees who strike a positive balance between home and work were
11% more likely to praise their leaders' ability to set clear direction than
those who have trouble finding such a balance. ISR has linked these results to a
previous study that claims a connection between good management practices and
improved bottom line. But some are skeptical about how much effect employee
well-being can have on a company's profits.
"A lot of
things exist besides x and y that they didn't look at," said Casey Ichniowski, a
professor of management at Columbia University's business school. "Just because
x and y are correlated doesn't give us a lot of insight into what would happen
if we change x." The Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) research
also shows work-life balance has a great impact on how employees feel about
their leaders. Jennifer Schramm, a manager in SHRM's workplace trends and
forecasting research department, said as companies try to maximize the
productivity of each employee, the work-life balance will become increasingly
more important.
"The other
factors that contribute to job satisfaction are getting harder to control:
health care benefits, job security, and feeling safe in the work environment,"
Schramm said. "Work-life balance is something you can make steps toward
offering." The first step is something business leaders are familiar with:
knowing what the customer wants. Schramm said understanding your work force and
the unique situation in which your organization is designed is key to ensuring
employee satisfaction.
Although
research shows happy employees can yield happy returns for businesses, assuming
your bottom line is down due to your employee's poor work-life balance isn't the
right approach, Ichniowski said. "So many other places besides human resources
get a business going well," he says. "I think the sentiment is right, but
there's another level of making a specific connection."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz
New Zealand Herald -
Auckland,New Zealand
By Mark Story
June 8, 2005
One size
doesn’t fit all
Bonuses and performance
schemes might be the icing on the cake for working hard these days but cash
isn’t what is was when it comes to motivating and retaining staff. That’s
according to the results of the Unlimited/JRA Best Place to Work in NZ survey on
the things that most inspire people to get out of bed in the mornings.
What motivates people is confidence that there is a future with their
organisation, genuine advancement opportunities, a sense of personal
achievement, knowing how work contributes to company success, a sense of
belonging and being given challenging work.
On the flipside, factors motivating people to consider working elsewhere
include:
* A poor working relationship with their boss
* Being undervalued for their efforts
* Stress and lack of work/life balance
* Lack of career development opportunities.
"When it comes to staff de-motivation all roads seem to lead to managers with
insufficient people-management skills," says survey manager Leighton Abbot.
There’s no better way to find out what pushes people’s motivational button,
advises Abbot, than simply asking them. He says companies that do particularly
well in the survey are those who modify working conditions in response to staff
feedback (within climate surveys). For example, having identified that a large
portion of its staff were "fortysomethings" with busy families one employer
recognised the value in offering greater flexibility around when and where staff
worked.
So is money really a good motivator these days? Abbot says the research proves
convincingly that money ceases to drive motivation once an acceptable amount is
reached. Assuming remuneration is paid at market rates, it’s the "warmer,
fuzzier" issues that drive the motivation stakes these days, he says. That’s not
to say site celebrations, morning tea shouts, staff BBQs and other mini-treats
such as days off on your birthday aren’t important. The trouble is the little
things that can gee up staff can look insincere, unless they’re supported with a
"full-menu" (or holistic approach) to looking after staff, argues John Beveridge,
general manager with Fletchers Easysteel.
Treating staff like individuals sounds like a "no brainer" in the motivation
stakes, but from Beveridge’s observations smaller companies have a greater
flexibility and diversity to pull it off. And based on the survey’s results,
he’s probably right. The survey findings reveal 17 out of the top 20 best places
to work are small companies. He claims smaller companies are better at
motivational stuff because they’re more able to create an emotional connection
with staff and offer things that meet individual needs. "It’s the ‘full menu’
approach that helps to create an environment where there’s empathy with staff,"
says Beveridge.
Since implementing a full-menu range of working conditions available to staff,
Fletchers Easysteel has gone from 36th to 15th place up the Best Place to Work
in NZ survey ladder in just 12 months. Ninety per cent of Beveridge’s staff now
believe they’re working for a successful organisation, while 88 per cent claim
to understand how their work contributes to the organisation’s success. "These
sorts of results tell us that staff feel they’re being appreciated for the work
they do," says Beveridge. Underscoring Beveridge’s "full menu" approach is a
realisation that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to motivating staff.
Rather than employing people who are only interested in money, he’s more
interested in hiring people who will act like business owners. That’s why more
than half the staff are now shareholders in the business.
Beveridge is convinced the key to motivating staff at the grass-roots level is
getting them to believe in the company’s fundamental story. He attributes the
fact that half the company’s recruits last year were returning staff to the
total employment package being offered. What the company’s range of employment
conditions and options recognises above all is that individuals are all unique
when it comes to getting them out of bed in the morning, says Beveridge.
He says the company must remain flexible enough to recognise that what motivates
people evolves as their careers progress. For example, subsidised gym membership
could mean a lot more to unmarried "X and Y-Geners" than flexibility over
working hours, free flu shots or a $1000 university grant for working parents
with two teenagers.
He says diversity in how the company deals with staff recognises the value of
the personal touch and creates a huge bond in the workplace. For example, last
year the company gave all staff a "service dividend" a week after it handed out
Christmas hams. The value in being able to pleasantly surprise staff far exceeds
the costs involved. "Contrary to popular opinion you can incentivise
wage-workers but it takes time," says Beveridge. "From my observations when
staff can see their employer going the extra mile to help them they want to
return the compliment on the job." Based on his experience it’s clear that job
satisfaction has a direct impact on job performance and international research
tends to support this view.
Research in Britain (Corporate Leadership Council, 2004) across 59 organisations
and 50,000 employees found that:
* Highly emotionally committed employees try 59 per cent harder than those who
take a more casual approach to their jobs.
* They performed 10 per cent better.
* Were 87 per cent less likely to leave their company.
* Felt a greater connection to their job, the team, boss and organisation at
large.
So is fear a good motivator these days? With unemployment running at 3.8 per
cent, managers who try to motivate staff using the fear-factor risk playing a
highly dangerous game, says industrial psychologist Stewart Forsyth. While
moderate levels of stress will lift performance, managers who wield the
corporate stick within such a tight labour market only force people to look for
greener employment pastures, he says. "There’s always a point at which the
individual tips out of the performance zone and their performance crashes," says
Forsyth, director of FX Consultants. "At this point avoidance and withdrawal
behaviours become more common."
So if managers genuinely want to get staff rushing into work every day, former
All Black coach John Hart suggests they pay less lip-service to staff needs and
provide more real leadership. To Hart that means aligning jobs with company
objectives and values, leading by (good) example, supporting it with appropriate
training, and offering career development opportunities. He says managers will
struggle to motivate staff until they return to a "people ethic" where day to
day respect for the individual is paramount.
"People don’t come to work for pay - what they want is an environment where they
can grow, be successful, have fun and balance," says Hart, former HR head at
Fletcher Challenge. "Staff motivation has less do to with systems and more about
knowing people and what makes them tick."
Tips to motivating staff
* Avoid a "one size fits all" approach to benefits.
* Treat people like individuals.
* Lead by example.
* Ask staff what is important to them.
* Don’t assume money solves all staff problems.
* Take a holistic approach to working conditions.
* Don’t wield the big corporate stick.
* Ensure managers have people-management skills.
* Include staff in the company’s future plans.
* Give staff a sense of belonging.
http://www.shrm.org/hrnews
SHRM Magazine -
Alexandria,VA,USA
By Kathy Gurchiek
June 3, 2005
Study: Poor work/life
balance undercuts leadership
If it seems like employees spend increasingly more time at work
than at home, it’s probably because they do.
The United States has one of the highest rates of average annual
hours worked per person in industrialized economies, according to the
International Labor Organization, and U.S. workers log a median of 50 hours per
week, according to 2004 Harris Interactive figures. Those long hours lead to
more stress and an off-kilter work/life balance, and they can lead to lessened
confidence in corporate leadership, according to an employee opinion study from
Chicago-based ISR, an international employee research and consulting firm.
That lack of confidence also can hurt a business’s bottom line,
according to data ISR collected in 2004 and its poll of more than 50,000
U.S. employees at financially high-performing companies. “One of the
more interesting findings that this study confirmed was the direct connection
between good management practices and an improved bottom line,” psychologist and
ISR Research Director Rebecca Masson said in a press release.
The study looked at companies in industries that include consumer
goods, financial services, manufacturing and professional services. Respondents
were those in non-supervisory positions as well as middle and upper management.
Among its findings:
• Employees
reporting high stress levels and poor work/life balance said their leaders did
an inadequate job of setting clear direction; only 63 percent gave their leaders
a favorable rating.
• 68 percent
ranked their leaders favorably in communicating important matters to employees.
• 79 percent
ranked leaders favorably in encouraging cooperation.
On the flip side, among survey respondents reporting low stress
levels and a strong work/life balance, 74 percent ranked their leaders favorably
for setting direction; 75 percent ranked them favorably for communicating
important matters; and 89 percent ranked them favorably for encouraging
cooperation.
Managers who staff their departments sufficiently to handle the
workload, distribute work fairly, allow schedule flexibility and are considerate
of employees’ personal lives yield more satisfied customers, lower absenteeism,
lower accident rates and increased revenue, ISR found in comparing its results
to similar recent employee satisfaction studies linking workplace culture to key
business outcomes.
An organization’s ability to promote a strong management culture is
one way to maintain a productive work/life balance, ISR found. This type of
environment promotes leadership that is especially effective in communicating
with employees and giving clear direction; has strong integrity; and provides
clear career opportunities up and down the organization, it said.
There are ways to accomplish this, according to ISR.
Communicate key
decisions
Understand how to put together a strategic communication plan,
psychologist and ISR project director Kim Morris told HR News. “Quite
often, in large organizations you have HR people assigned to work with specific
business leaders by function area. Many times business leaders aren’t thinking
about communication; they’re thinking of the task at hand” to reach bottom-line
goals.
“It all has to be tied back to something that can help the
business,” Morris advised HR managers. “It would bolster the [employees’]
confidence in the leadership and their understanding of why they’re doing what
they’re doing and how they fit into helping the company be successful.”
Said Masson, “Employees need to see how their work, their
responsibilities, their role fits in [with the company’s strategy]. If goals,
strategies are not communicated through the ranks and broken down at every level
in the company so [employees] can see how their work is benefiting the company’s
goals and objectives, it’s hard for them to stay on track.”
Encouraging and recognizing good performance and providing training
and development opportunities are important strategies, according to ISR.
However, a 2004 survey report,
Generational Differences, by the
Society for Human Resource Management, suggests that employers recognize that
different generations value training and development differently based on their
current needs and that they consider generational differences when choosing
methods of communicating with employees.
It is not enough for a supervisor to assign a task. “What’s
happening is people in the workforce in the United Sates seem to be working much
harder but not smarter. Part of the reason … [is] they don’t have a clear sense
of direction in what they need to do first or how they need to prioritize their
work,” Morris said. “If you go to your boss and your boss says ‘just do it’ and
says ‘don’t ask me why’ … you might be afraid to ask any more questions. It
contributes to a lack of confidence in the work” because the employee is unsure
if he or she is fulfilling the assigned task. In addition, it contributes to a
lack of confidence in the supervisor being able to provide the guidance needed.
Leverage employees’ strengths to build an effective team that
shares the workload, Morris suggested. “There are opportunities for people on
the team to work together and help out each other,” she said. “There are going
to be highs and lows [of workload] for people on the team. If you understand
those highs and lows you can better understand how you can leverage and when you
can leverage.”
That cooperation leads to improved camaraderie and a better
distribution and sharing of the workload. “It also leads to extensive ownership
as a team” and reduces the stress level, she said, “because everyone is carrying
the load. It’s not on one person.”
http://www.jobquality.ca
Canadian Policy Research
Networks (CPRN) e-network
May 27,
2005
Interesting
Work Ranks #1 With Visitors to jobquality.ca
A good job involves a lot more than a decent pay cheque according to visitors to
our special Web site,
www.jobquality.ca
We recently asked jobquality.ca
visitors to rank the things they value in a job. Respondents rated
17 job characteristics on a scale of one to five (from “not at all important” to
“very important”).
While this survey is not random, it accords with the results of earlier random
surveys undertaken by CPRN in the priority given to non-monetary job
characteristics. For example, 90% of our respondents ranked interesting work as
“very important”, well ahead of such economic rewards as good benefits (45%),
and good pay (37%).
What Do You Value in a
Job?
The Results are In!
Here is What Our
Respondents Had to Say
Last
year, we asked visitors to
www.jobquality.ca to tell us what they
valued in a job. We used a question from the CPRN-EKOS Changing Employment
Relationships Survey (CERS) (2000). Visitors who responded to the on-line survey
were asked “If you were looking for a new job today, how important would the
following be to you?” Respondents rated 17 job characteristics on a scale
ranging from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (very important). We will focus here
on the ratings of those who indicated an item was “very important”.
It
should be noted that this survey is not random and therefore may not be
representative of Canadian workers as a whole. These findings represent a
snapshot of what some visitors to the site indicate they value in a job. In all,
201 visitors took time to complete the survey (152 women and 49 men).
Highly Valued Job Features
So what
do website visitors consider “very important in a job”? The chart below shows
that non-monetary items are highly valued. Interesting work is the job feature
that most respondents (90 percent) consider “very important”. This was followed
closely by other non-monetary job characteristics such as: work that gives a
feeling of accomplishment (88 percent); work where people treat you with respect
(83 percent); work that lets you develop skills (79 percent); and work that
allows work-life balance (71 percent). Interestingly, the economic rewards of a
job, such as good benefits (45 percent), a job that pays well (37 percent), and
job security (35 percent) are much further down the list. Although economic job
features are still very important to many respondents, non-monetary features are
more often seen as very important to our survey respondents. For many, work is
much more than just a paycheque.
Work
is More Than Just a Paycheque
Source:
www.jobquality.ca on-line survey: “What do
you value in a job?” (2004)(n=201).
The higher incidence of employer sponsored training by respondents is likely
explained by the high education levels reported by our visitors. Almost 66
percent of visitors reported that they have at least a bachelor’s degree,
suggesting a highly educated group of survey respondents. Research has often
found that well educated employees are more likely to receive employer sponsored
training and the survey results appear to support that.
How do
the responses from our website visitors compare with those of other Canadian
workers? Like our web survey respondents, Canadian workers also put more
emphasis on non-monetary job characteristics, although the degree of emphasis is
not as great. Data from CERS reveals that more than 70 percent of Canadian
workers consider respect, interesting work, meaningful work, and good
communications with co-workers as key ingredients of a good job. At the same
time, 62 percent of Canadian workers indicated that economic rewards such as job
security and good pay were key components of a good job. See the jobquality.ca
indicator “It’s
More than the Money- What Canadians Want in a Job” for more
information on what Canadian workers value in a job.
The data from our
on-line survey as well as the CERS both point to the importance of non-monetary
aspects of work. Economic rewards such as pay, benefits, and job security are
still important to many, but are certainly not all that matters to Canadian
workers. To retain and recruit workers in the future, employers need to offer a
work environment characterized by respect, interesting and meaningful work,
opportunities for skill development, work-life balance, and good communications.
If you have any comments on
these findings, please let us know at
jobquality@cprn.org.
We would
like to thank those visitors who took the time to complete the survey.
http://wistechnology.com
WTN News -
Madison,WI,USA
Tony
DiRomualdo
05/23/05
The future of work II: standard of working up,
quality of work life down
Humans love to keep score. Nowadays there seems to be a scorecard
or measurement index for just about everything from the cost of living to the
cost of dying and everything in between. The problem with many of these measures
is that they take a pure economic view of whatever is being measured. But
conclusions about the economy or business can often be misleading when drawn
from only those indicators that are easy to quantify.
As Albert Einstein noted, "Not everything that can be counted counts and not
everything that counts can be counted."
Yet many people, particularly economists, remain fixated on the numbers. A
widely tracked numerical economic indicator is the standard of living.
Economists are fond of pointing out how advances in technology and the
globalization of business are driving increases in our standard of living in
America. Some economists equate standard of living and quality of life as
the same, but they are not.
Standard of living has to do with the degree of prosperity in a nation, as
measured by income levels, quality of housing and food, medical care,
educational opportunities, transportation, communications, and other measures.
Quality of life on the other hand, refers to an individual's satisfaction with
his or her life and general sense of well-being. It is often measured as
physical, psychological and social well-being.
Economists argue that increasing the standard of living is a good thing. The
cheaper the cost, the more of a product or service we can buy, the higher the
standard of living, the better off we are. Right? Not necessarily. Take food for
example - today Americans enjoy plentiful and cheap food. We consume more
calories for less cost than ever before. Everywhere you look portions sizes are
getting larger. "Ventis" ... "Supersizes" ... "Jumbos" or in the words of Dave
Barry "Mega Grandissimaximo Giganto de Humongo-Rama-Lama-Ding-Dongs" are
everywhere. Need a six-pound jar of pickles? You can get it at Wal-Mart, for a
mere $2.39! (What ever happened to mini-sized products like six-ounce 'pony'
bottles of Rolling Rock beer?) Our cost per calorie is at an all-time low and
odds are good it will continue to drop.
In the eyes of economists this is irrefutable evidence of our increasing
standard of living. But what about our quality of life – does consuming these
products improve that as well? Nearly 70 percent of Americans are overweight and
at health risk. Almost thirty percent are obese (more than 30 pounds
overweight). Obesity is classified as an illness linked to all sorts of health
problems. Our standard of living may be up as a result of an overabundance of
cheap food but our quality of life seems to be diminished from consuming it.
This situation is not confined to food. Choice inflation is pervasive – in
shops, at the movies, on TV, in restaurants. Impact on the standard of living?
Unarguably better. How about quality of life? It's not so clear. There are two
cars for every three Americans. More cars mean a better standard of living. But
traffic congestion, gridlock, and road infrastructure are all bad and getting
worse. Quality of life – better or worse? It certainly didn't feel better to me
the last time I was stuck in traffic gridlock.
The concepts of standard of living and quality and life have parallels in
business. I refer to these as "standard of working" and "quality of work life".
The standard of working (degree of productivity) is on a roll. Technology is
making workers more productive than ever. Everyone has information at their
finger tips. Lean manufacturing practices and automation means we can produce
more per person than ever before. But what about our quality of work life – is
it rising or falling? Well, it depends on where you sit in the organization.
Some might argue that the quality of work life for CEO's – given their
astronomic levels of compensation and perks - has never been higher.
How about the average worker? Pay has been flat or rising at modest levels. Many
benefits have been pared and some even eliminated. Workloads continue to
increase. More flexibility has been given to workers, but many are working in
the evenings at home, on the road and on weekends. Satisfaction, engagement and
commitment are down by most measures. Is the quality of our work life getting
better or worse?
The disparity between standard of working and quality of work life, just as the
imbalance between standard of living and quality of life, needs to be redressed.
One cannot continue to increase while the other diminishes. The knowledge
economy depends on engaging talent and leveraging their passion. For the growing
ranks of these workers, quality of work life is critical, not only to how they
feel but to the quality of the work they produce.
If the future of work is to remain bright, we must find ways to increase the
standard of working and the quality of work life.
http://www.thelawyer.com
The Lawyer - London,UK
May 24, 2005
By
Richard Collier
Work-life balance:
ladies only?
Work-life balance is one of the main buzz
issues - but does it matter to men?
The recent Woman
Lawyer Forum conference 'Balancing a Legal Career' echoed concerns expressed in
the 2004 Law Society report 'Equality and Diversity: Women Solicitors'. If the
legal profession does not tackle its problems, it argued, the flow of skilled
women out of the profession will continue.
Many law
firms now make explicit reference to the 'quality of life' agenda in their
recruitment and promotional materials. Yet how do men feel about work-life
issues?
There have
to date been few studies of the attitudes of male lawyers towards work, family,
fatherhood and, increasingly, elder-care commitments. One recent project, Male
Lawyers and the Negotiation of Work and Family Commitments, supported by the
British
Academy, sought to address this absence. The aim was to investigate how a
group of men working in an area of the profession marked by a long-hours culture
and strong organisational commitment seek 'balance' in their lives.
Interviews
took place with salaried and equity partners, assistant solicitors and trainees.
Interviewees spoke about the damaging impact of long hours on their health and
relationships with partners, children, wider families and friends. The tensions
were particularly acute in the run-up to partnership - a time when, it was felt,
more men were increasingly becoming fathers for the first time. As one
fee-earner put it: "Well, I want to see more of my kids than my father did of
me."
Men were
under pressure from society, the media and especially from women. "You have to
be this 'all-singing, all-dancing' dad. A kind of superdad," says one
respondent. Considerable effort was made by some to ensure that they did see
their children during a typical working week. This involved at times complex
practical arrangements, the difficulties around which were exacerbated in the
case of dual-earner households.
Yet did
these men still feel that it would continue to be women in the profession who
would be more interested in taking up opportunities available for flexible
working? The answer lies in how law continues to be seen as a 'masculine'
profession. Whatever difficulties existed in their own lives, men felt they
could, if they struggled hard enough, "make it work", says one male lawyer. It
would be "career suicide" for a man to "play the quality of life card". Men who
did so would be "weak". There was an acceptance that women would continue to
take on the primary responsibility for childcare, allowing a man to "carry on in
the race". Women partners in City law firms were routinely described as "driven,
very focused and ultra-competitive", "more aggressive" and "more masculine" than
other women.
These
comments illustrate how entrenched the long-hours culture can be within firms.
They also raise questions about the prospects for change. Some thought change
would take place as more men with family-friendly attitudes worked their way
through the promotion structures of the firms to senior partner level. The
demands and expectations of clients were also seen as drivers for change.
The
research suggests, however, that some men might be resistant to change. It was
felt that long hours and inflexibility would remain "a price worth paying" for
high financial reward and future partnership, says one male lawyer. Those who
complained about work-life issues missed out on the "buzz, the excitement" of
the work. Nevertheless, it does appear that the "carrot" of partnership may be
waning for some. Changes are taking place in men's lives which may be opening up
a space for further reform of working practices in the profession. If that is
so, then there is a pressing need for further research to explore such issues -
and what they might mean for the future of the legal profession.
Richard Collier
is professor of law at Newcastle Law School
http://www.hrinfodesk.com
Canadian Employment
Standards (subscription) - Concord,ON,Canada
By Yosie Saint-Cyr, Editor at
HRinfodesk---Canadian
Payroll and Employment Law
May
2005
Canadian Work-Life
Balance Indicator
Job Quality.ca
has added a new feature on their website that allows you to obtain information
on the issue of work-life balance by province across Canada. Work-life issues
stem from conflicts between the demands of the workplace and those of the family
and resulting in higher absenteeism, reduced employee
commitment, declining job satisfaction, lower workplace morale, and reduced
satisfaction with family life. The indicator currently examines
flexibility in the workplace, management support, and organizational culture.
The data will show how work-life balance conditions and
solutions vary across the country.
For example, one of the
sections
examines how professional
employees across Canada see their work environment in terms of three indicators:
the amount of flexibility employees perceive they have in their workplace;
management support for work-life balance; and the organizational culture and
climate with respect to work and family balance.
These new indicators will
help employers, governments, and other policy makers develop human resource,
social, and
labour
market policies that address issues of particular concern in each region.
Future
indicators will cover work-life conflict, family outcomes, organizational
outcomes, and employee well-being.
Job Quality.ca
is an online publication prepared by the Canadian Policy Research Networks
(CPRN). The new data comes from the research report
entitled: Where to Work in
Canada?
An Examination of Regional Differences in Work Life Practices,
by Linda Duxbury of the Sprott School of Business at
Carleton University and CPRN Research Associate, and Chris Higgins of the
Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. The report
can be accessed on the
Canadian Policy Research Network website.
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince
Vancouver Province
(subscription) - Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada
Wendy Mclellan
The Province
May 08, 2005
Work/life
balance moves to the top
'STRONG GLUE':
Companies find that flexible work schedules help keep employees.
Not many years ago, "balance" was a word most frequently uttered by
women in suits with small children. It was often translated to mean less
commitment to the workplace or special treatment for working moms. But times
have changed -- quickly -- and even though the word "balance" retains its
slightly negative connotation, everyone is trying to maintain a life while
having a successful career.
"Balance has a bad rap," says Mary Lou Quinlan, a
New York
marketing executive and author of Time Off for Good Behavior. "We're talking
about the same thing, but we have to find different words. It really means
people want a more human workplace."
Quinlan, who was in Vancouver last week to talk to retailers about
women shoppers -- the marketing side of her life -- decided to write a book
about the growing need for personal time and how to find it after finding
herself so stressed out, she walked away from her career for five weeks.
Although the book is directed at women nearing burnout, men also want more time
for life outside the office.
She points to a recent salary.com survey that found 39 per cent of
American workers would give up a $5,000 pay increase in exchange for more time
off. The number was up 20 per cent from three years earlier. Quinlan waited too
long to take a break, and hopes her book will offer a better way to make life
outside work a priority. "I do believe in a dramatic shift if you need dramatic
change -- you can't do it in a weekend," she says. "For some women, it's hard to
convince them to even take a Saturday afternoon off for themselves. "And it's
not just career women, or a mid-life issue. Moms and young women just out of
college have the same trouble."
Quinlan suggests starting small, taking a day or a weekend and
clearing out technology. No BlackBerry, no e-mail, no voice mail. Then think
about what you are doing with your time and whether anything is missing. For
Quinlan, the five weeks away from the office led her to start her own marketing
company and write books. She also got a puppy, stopped working weekends and
shortened her workday. "I'm still a Type A good girl -- I can't change that,"
she says. "But I try to be Type A about what I care about, not what everybody
else wants. I force myself to say no."
John Izzo, a Lions Bay-based consultant who travels the world to
help businesses become better places to work, says many companies recognize the
value of offering employees flexible schedules. "The importance of balance in
the workplace has grown exponentially in the last 10 or 15 years," says Izzo,
author of Values Shift, a revised edition of which will be published in the
fall. "We used to say it was a mommy issue, and it was often said in a
pejorative way. Increasingly, it's now an issue long before people have kids.
And it's not just for parents -- people want to make space for other things."
He said a 1990 survey asked men and women to rank the top 15 things
that influenced their satisfaction at work. At that time, women ranked a
home/work balance as No. 8. For men, it didn't even make the list. "Fast forward
to now and balance is ranked No. 1 for women and third or fourth for men,
depending on their age and what stage of life they're at," says Izzo. "People
want to be successful, but not at the expense of all of their time."
He encourages companies to think about time off as an incentive for
employees. They can offer employees the option of taking time off or overtime
pay and provide paid time off as a reward for good work. Flexible work
schedules, part-time shifts and unpaid time off -- without a career penalty --
improve morale and reduce absenteeism and employee turnover, he says. "The
leading-edge companies are getting out of the old standard shifts and offering
customized schedules for their employees. They care about whether you have a
life.
"It's strong glue in terms of retention, and companies can't lose
with that kind of approach. "It's still not happening in most places, but it's
growing so fast that more companies will have to follow suit."
© The Vancouver
Province 2005
http://www.csmonitor.com
Christian Science Monitor
- USA
May 15, 2005
By
Clayton Collins
To boost
the profits, keep the workers
Nobody at Brogan and
Partners was surprised when management announced early this year that the entire
staff would be taking a field trip to Amsterdam to unwind.
Last year it was
Reykjavik.
The 60 employees at the marketing firm, with offices in
Detroit
and Research Triangle Park,
N.C.,
have been taking "mystery trips" for nearly two decades.
Brogan also offers its
Detroit
workers the use of on-site personal trainers. At the
North Carolina operation, a call went up for concierge services instead. Request
granted.
Sound familiar? It's not a return to the roaring '90s. But experts
say ensuring loyalty may soon be job No. 1 at many firms. As a long-gloomy job
market finally sees rays of light, studies now show most American workers have
happy feet. Fully three-quarters are actively or passively in the hunt for new
jobs, according to the Society of Human Resource Management. Also, by most
accounts, a skilled-labor shortage looms. That means the cyclical
worker/employer power dynamic - chocolate pedicures and "bring in the pooch"
when times are flush, extra hours and that be-glad-you're-working pall when the
economy flags - may be in for its first real tilt since the end of the 1990s era
of exorbitant expectations and little-guy clout.
"It really is now the beginning of a sellers' market environment,"
says Roger Herman, a management consultant who has studied retention for
decades. "About 10 different [regions] across the country are already in that
mode. But employers have not shifted gears, and that's going to cause them to
lose a lot of people." Not all firms will see flight. "We have practically zero
turnover," says Marcie Brogan, a managing partner at Brogan. "People who leave
do it because their spouses are changing jobs" and have to move. What Ms. Brogan
calls her company's "deliberate retention strategy" requires corporate agility.
"We run very lean," she says, whatever the prevailing economic conditions. "And
we never hire unless we have the money in hand." The extra benefits, she says,
cost about what one more senior-executive salary would. "The partners and board
of directors would take cuts before we would short our staff," she says.
Her strategy reflects the extreme leading edge of a morale-minded
attitude that workplace experts say is fast becoming critical for attracting and
keeping talent. The keys: an approach tailored as much as possible to
nonmonetary incentives and the placement of frontline managers who understand
and can translate the mission - and for whom people like to work.
"All things being equal, you can attract, retain, and motivate the
best and the brightest by recognizing that what motivates me might not motivate
you," says John Putzier, author of "Get Weird," a book about creative practices
that firms can embed in their cultures. "And most of those things aren't
necessarily financial, they are 'What's it like to work here day to day?' The
point, he and others say: Strike a mutually beneficial deal with each employee
within the framework of a broad and liberal policy that gives them more of what
everyone still seems to want: time to live.
"For young people, it might be looking at flexible hours in order
to have long weekends; for others, it might be flexible arrangements that allow
for the care of aging adults; and for others, it might be child care," says John
Peoples, managing partner at Global Lead Management Consulting in Baltimore.
"What's important is to have a philosophy that embraces the holistic life of the
employee and a variety of tools that support that philosophy."
Although the goal is employee loyalty, the calculation should not
leave out employers needs, others say. "What is this person bringing to the
party? Let's compensate people based on the value that we're exchanging here,"
says Mr. Herman. "This is relatively new thinking, and a lot of organizations
haven't reached this yet." When and if they do, the new workplaces could begin
to look a little like those of the 1990s. But what sets some companies apart is
that they stick to the policies in economic downturns. "The companies that
continue to embrace it as a philosophy do it because that's who they are,"
Putzier says.
Several experts cite Southwest Airlines as a company with open
internal communications and a top-down awareness of the value of employee buy-in
to the corporate mission. Food giant Wegman's is often cited for its
comprehensive approach to training.
Capital One has been hailed for such programs as generous
community-volunteer options and staff counseling. UPS works to promote from
within, and offers a generous tuition-assistance program; 62 percent of its
drivers have at least 15 years of service, a spokesman says.
In terms of employee recognition - another low-cost way of
fostering goodwill - Prudential, CDW, and Mary Kay stand among the leaders, says
Donna Oldenburg, former publisher of Incentive magazine. Once an employee feels
adequately compensated, a tangible reward - a watch, a radio, even a pin - can
go far in building loyalty. Ms. Oldenburg cites a study done for the Society of
Incentive & Travel Executives in which 92 of employees polled said they would be
more likely to go for their goal if some small incentive were offered.
Putzier's suggested perks are a bit more exotic, ranging from
referral bonuses to take-home gourmet dinners to altering the aroma of the
workplace. However it is achieved, he and others say, retention can enhance
productivity and save money otherwise spent training a parade of new hires.
Employee contentment delivers a bump of as much as 40 percent to
shareholder profits, according to a report last year from the Aberdeen Group.
If a big organization can improve its employee retention by just 1
percent, it can save $100,000 a year, according to Newmeasures, a
Boulder,
Colo.,
firm that develops and administers employee surveys. Another finding confirms
the 'boss' factor: People join companies, but leave managers. "Front-line
managers are key to retaining employees," says Diane Fassel, Newmeasures
president, in an e-mail.
That means the best firms need to make sure their managers aren't
allowed to become mercenary. An age of high turnover at the highest executive
levels has often led to inconsistent command chains.
"The [problem] is that there are people in the middle who don't get
it, who are more concerned with protecting their turf, or who are hired guns who
figure 'Hey, if it doesn't work, then I'm out of here. I don't have to worry
about it,' " says Herman. That's why a good corporate culture is so vital,
consultants say. "Better companies are around a long time not only because they
have good products, but also because they recognize people," says Oldenburg,
also director of next week's Incentive Show in New York, an expo for suppliers
of company gifts.
"External marketing really begins internally," says Susan Drake, a
Memphis, Tenn., consultant, and author of "Light Their Fire," a book about
retention tactics. "Good marketing is very targeted. The same is true of
employee relationships. You have to be very aware of what your employees' needs
are and be prepared to be flexible to meet those needs."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz
New Zealand Herald -
Auckland,New Zealand
May 2, 2005
Thousands of workers are
actively disengaged from their jobs according to a new survey, which says they
are costing the country more than $3.6 billion a year in lost productivity.
Being "actively disengaged", says the Gallup survey, leads to people being less
productive, less loyal and less likely to offer excellent customer service.
These are the 15 per cent of workers who roll their eyes when you approach them
for help, sigh when you complain about poor products or service and put the
phone down on you moments after saying "I can’t hear you, are you still there?".
They are also often disruptive at work, bothering co-workers and causing them to
be less productive.
The New Zealand Engagement Study says only 17 per cent of people working here
are engaged at work, providing their employers with high levels of productivity,
profitability and customer service. The survey found fewer New Zealand workers
are engaged at work compared to its 2002 survey. Then, it found 23 per cent of
workers were committed to their job. People unhappy in their jobs are often
vocal in showing their negative attitudes, says the report.
And actively disengaged employees are less likely to stay with their company,
with only 23 per cent of actively disengaged employees planning to stay with
their employer over the next 12 months. Gallup’s research also found that
disengaged employees are significantly less likely to recommend their company’s
workplace, products and services.
By contrast, engaged employees are psychologically committed to their company
and to their role, have high levels of consistent performance and are more
likely to stay with their company over time. Using worldwide research conducted
over the past 50 years, Gallup has identified 12 core needs that employees have
in any workplace. Engagement will be high when all of these needs are met.
According to Anita Pugliese, a managing consultant at Gallup, the onus rests
with managers to address these needs and create engagement at work. "The role of
individual managers is important," she says. "We have been studying the world’s
great workplaces and great managers for over three decades and have consistently
found people tend to join organisations, but they leave poor managers. "Great
managers, those with the highest performing workgroups, address employees’ core
needs, select for talent rather than skills or experience and focus on employee
strengths." Pugliese adds that intervention at the local workgroups level is the
best way to drive engagement and improve business performance.
"Even organisations labelled as ‘best employers’ or ‘employers of choice’ can
have workgroups with high levels of disengagement, because of varying manager
effectiveness at the local level. "An integrated programme of measurement,
education and intervention at the workgroup level is the best way to drive
engagement."
Success coach Talia Mana says some people will never have buy-in with their
employers because they are either mismatched to their job or the company
culture. "Psychometric testing may help some of these people in identifying
which role is best suited to them as people - the most suitable job may have
nothing to do with their skill set," she says.
"Satisfying this 15 per cent is not an easy job for a manager. These people may
have gone without a pay rise for five years, or not been sent on a training
course, and feel they are not really part of the team as a result. "It may mean
that some of these people aren’t suited to working 9-5 and should walk away.
Some people enjoy being told what to do at every step while others want more
autonomy. "Managers need to show these people that they are approachable. They
should offer feedback, explain results and set guidelines."
Gallup says high levels of employee engagement in an organisation are linked to
superior business performance, including increased profitability, productivity,
employee retention, customer metrics and safety levels. The company’s research
has also found that high levels of engagement relate to overall well-being and
life satisfaction. It seems good communication and understanding the needs of
employees may be all that’s required to bring disenfranchised staff onboard to
improve the bottom line.
Gallup’s
results explained
Gallup came up with its $3.67 billion estimate of the annual cost of actively
disengaged employees to the country by using published statistical guides
(standard utility analysis methods) and applied them to the $35,247-a-year
average New Zealand salary.
This yielded $2448 in loses for each worker (for the total population). That
figure was multiplied by 1.5 million workers in New Zealand who are 18 or older
to produced the estimate.
* The New Zealand Engagement Study was conducted October to November last year
among a sample of 500 working people, aged 18 years and older.
By
WALLACE IMMEN
April
29, 2005
Shifting Values:
More Than a Paycheque
Fundamental views about work are changing for employees of all ages. Work-life
balance and a fun atmosphere are only some of what employers must offer to
retain talent.
A pie in the face brought a revelation to managers of Rogers Video about a basic
shift occurring in the values of Canadian workers. The company was not getting
the results it wanted from a TV ad to recruit employees, in which a sombre
executive promised good pay and benefits.
So, as a test, it ran a second ad in which the boss got a pie
in the face after his pitch, while a voiceover said: "And it's fun to work
here."
The response from both young workers and older workers was immediate and
positive, says Linda Sanderson, vice-president of human resources for Rogers
Video, a division of Rogers Cable Inc. in Vancouver.
"I can't give specific statistics, but the ad certainly drew more applicants and
a better selection |
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