According to a study by the Quantum Work Place "Employee Engagement" has decline to the lowest point it has been in eight years. Despite the improving economy, employee engagement declined in 2014 across organizations of all sizes and in more than 75 percent of the markets measured through the Best Places to Work program.
Employee engagement among Best Places to Work was on a slow, steady incline, as organizations recovered from the late 2008 recession. However, this past year, engagement dipped to its lowest point in eight years, with 65.9 percent of employees engaged. Prior to 2014, engagement was lowest in 2010 with 66.7 percent of employees engaged.
In 2014, 31.4 percent of workers were either contributing (24.3 percent) or disengaged (7.1 percent), as a result of being less certain about their feelings toward their workplace. Three records were broken in 2014 contributing to this trend. Looking at the engagement profiles over the past eight years, in 2014 we observed:
Although the majority of employees were engaged, these record-breaking trends indicate a slight shift toward uncertainty and suggest that organizations have more areas for improvement than in previous years.
A number of themes emerged when examining employee uncertainty about the workplace:
Commitment to Valuing Employees
Almost half of the items with the highest uncertainty were related to how employers value their employees, whether through compensation, recognition, or growth opportunities. Employees should not be treated as a means to an end. Engaged workplaces exhibit a commitment to employees in how they are supported, recognized, and developed.
Global Information
One-third of the items with the highest uncertainty were related to global information, which is how information is shared throughout an organization. Whether it's understanding their personal future or getting feedback regularly from managers, employees lack confidence in their employers' ability to communicate.
These areas of uncertainty represent areas of opportunity for employers. By offering clarity and improving in these areas, employers can improve employee perceptions and engagement.
One of the easiest ways to improve employee relations and engagement is through the use of a job specific psychological assessment such as the Harrison. Now you can measure intrinsic behavioral factors that drive individual engagement — employee motivators and attitudes!
Take the next step in engagement initiatives! Align employee intrinsic factors with organizational extrinsic factors to maximize engagement. Contact a Harrison Consultant for more information.
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