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1 in 2 U.S. Employees Looking to Leave or Are Checked Out on the Job
June 20, 2011 — Half of all U.S. employees are really unhappy, according to Mercer's "What's Working" survey, conducted over the past two quarters among nearly 30,000 workers in 17 countries, including 2,400 U.S. workers.
Nearly 1 in 3 (32%) U.S. workers is seriously considering leaving his/her organization right now, up sharply from 23% in 2005. Meanwhile, another 21% are not looking to leave, but view their employers unfavorably and have rock-bottom scores on key measures of engagement, a term that describes a combination of an employee's loyalty, commitment and motivation.
Figure 1: Disaffected Workers Post Lowest Engagement Scores, Views of Employers
Percentage Who Agree | |||
Among those not seriously considering leaving (47% of all employees) | Among those seriously considering leaving (32% of all employees) | Among those who responded “neither” (21% of all employees) | |
Personally feel treated fairly by organization | 83% | 58% | 50% |
Proud to work for organization | 82% | 56% | 48% |
Get feeling of personal accomplishment from work | 81% | 63% | 53% |
Willing to go beyond job requirements to help organization succeed | 81% | 68% | 58% |
Would recommend my organization to others as a good place to work | 80% | 53% | 46% |
Feel strong sense of commitment to organization | 76% | 53% | 34% |
See a long-term future with organization | 74% | 49% | 40% |
Believe organization as a whole is well-managed | 68% | 50% | 29% |
Source: Mercer's "What's Working" survey.
"The business consequences of this erosion in employee sentiment are significant, and clearly the issue goes far beyond retention," said Mindy Fox, a senior partner at Mercer and the firm's U.S. region leader. "Diminished loyalty and widespread apathy can undermine business performance, particularly as companies increasingly look to their workforces to drive productivity gains and spur innovation."
Employee concerns about work are pervasive, reflecting an evolving employment deal that they have seen as a series of takeaways, plus further cuts made during economic tough times:
- Only 43% of U.S. employees believe they are doing enough to financially prepare for retirement — down from 47% in 2005, and just 41% believe their employers are doing enough to help them prepare, up slightly from 38%.
- 68% of employees rate their overall benefits program as good or very good, down from 76% in 2005, while 59% say they are satisfied with their health-care benefits, down from 66%.
- Base pay is the most important element of the employment deal, by a wide margin, but U.S. workers show lower satisfaction with base pay (53% satisfied, down from 58% in 2005).
- Despite improvements, scores for career development and performance management remain low. Just 42% of employees today agree that promotions go to the most qualified employees in their organization, up from 29% in 2005, and 46% agree that their organization does an adequate job of matching pay to performance, up from 33%.
Figure 2: Key Engagement Measures Show Consistent Decline Among U.S. Workers
2005 | 2010 | |
Get feeling of personal accomplishment from work | 72% | 69% |
Willing to go beyond job requirements to help organization succeed | 75% | 72% |
Proud to work for organization | 71% | 67% |
Feel strong sense of commitment to organization | 64% | 60% |
Figure 3: Youngest Workers Most Likely to Be 'Seriously Considering Leaving' Today
2005 | 2010 | |
All employees | 23% | 32% |
Age 16-24 | 20% | 44% |
Age 25-34 | 25% | 40% |
Age 35-44 | 23% | 34% |
Age 45-54 | 21% | 27% |
Age 55-64 | 19% | 24% |
According to Fox, an effective employment deal includes both how the deal is defined and delivered. "Employees see a 'disconnect' between what employers are promising and what they are delivering," she said. "Organizations should re-examine their deals — both the traditional and nontraditional elements — then support them with effective administration and consistent, authentic communication that fosters a sense of belonging and helps employees make better rewards choices and career decisions."
The "What's Working" survey was conducted among more than 2,400 U.S. workers in late 2010. The survey, last conducted in the United States in 2005, includes more than 100 questions on a range of work-related topics and reflects the overall demographics of the U.S. workforce in terms of age, gender and job level. This research also is being conducted in 16 other countries.
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********************************************************http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
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