Are You and Your Employees Connected?

A survey by Right Management is an eye-opener. They surveyed over 400 company leaders and 1000 employees in the US and Canada. The results were dramatically different: 83% of leaders responding said they believe their workforce is fully engaged, but only 48% of employees said they would categorize themselves as fully engaged.” The article continues that the primary step leaders need to take is to invest in the talent and career development of their employees.

Note that does NOT mean that 52% of employees are looking to leave, but it is a “mixed bag”: around 75% said they would like to stay at their current employer for the “foreseeable future,” but about half said they would be open to moving on. There was little difference between “somewhat engaged” and “disengaged” employees in that respect. Half of the employers surveyed had not conducted an engagement survey in the past two years, which may be telling.

As with most employment issues, communication is an essential ingredient. With extremely few exceptions, nobody is a mind-reader. It is the responsibility of managers to keep the lines of communication open.