Economic Downturn Leading to Decline in Employee Commitment, Morale, Watson Wyatt and WorldatWork Survey Finds
WorldatWork.comNewsline
Economic Downturn Leading to Decline in Employee Commitment, Morale, Watson Wyatt and WorldatWork Survey Finds >
Sept. 21, 2009 — Scottsdale, Ariz. — The cost-cutting actions that employers have been making to deal with the economic crisis have caused a sharp decline in the morale and commitment of their workers, especially top performers, according to an annual survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm, and WorldatWork, an international association of human resource professionals. >
The 2009/2010 U.S. Strategic Rewards Study found that employee engagement levels for all workers at the companies surveyed have dropped by nearly 10% since last year, and by 23% for top performers. Additionally, 36% of top performers say their employer’s situation has worsened in the past 12 months and the number who would recommend others take jobs at their company has declined by nearly 20%. Compared with last year, top-performing employees are 26% less likely to be satisfied with advancement opportunities at their company. They are also 14% less likely to want to remain with their company versus take a job elsewhere. >
The survey also found that top-performing employees are 29% less confident in management’s ability to grow the business. And 41% believe that pay and benefit changes made by their employer in the past year have had a negative effect on work quality and customer service. The survey was conducted in May 2009 and is based on responses from 235 large U.S. employers and 1,300 full-time workers. >
“The fallout from the actions employers have taken in response to the recession is now coming to light, and it is significant,” said Laura Sejen, global director of strategic rewards consulting at Watson Wyatt. “Having less engaged and committed workers is a major concern for employers. This could have a long-lasting and detrimental impact on productivity, quality and customer service, as well increase the risk of companies losing their best employees.” >
The survey also found that most top-performing employees say they aren’t expecting to receive the same bonus or pay increase as they have in the past, even though historically companies have rewarded them with pay commensurate with their performance. More than six in 10 (61%) say their companies have reduced or suspended bonuses, while only 35% agree their employers reward top employees for performance. Additionally, 43% of top performers said individual performance expectations have increased since last year, while one-third (32%) say their company’s financial performance goals have increased. >
“One of the many challenges employers will face as the economy recovers is how to re-engage employees, and especially top performers,” said Ryan Johnson, CCP, vice president of research at WorldatWork. “Taking a total rewards approach and looking at all of the ways companies can motivate and retain — including compensation, benefits, work-life initiatives and career development — is going to be essential.” >
Other findings from the survey include:>
- The percentage of employers reporting difficulty in attracting critical-skill employees declined from 66% in 2008 to 28% this year, while the percentage reporting difficulty retaining these workers declined from 47% to just 16%. >
- Nearly three out of four (72%) employers have gone through a restructuring or made layoffs since the economic downturn began last year. >
Access the Watson Wyatt and WorldatWork 2009/2010 Strategic Rewards Study here.
Contents © 2009 WorldatWork. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from WorldatWork.
Access Original Post: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimComment?id=34571
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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.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Most American Workers Say Their Employers Not Communicating About H1N1 Virus
Most American Workers Say Their Employers Not Communicating About H1N1 Virus:
WorldatWork.com
Newsline
"Most American Workers Say Their Employers Not Communicating About H1N1 Virus
Sept. 22, 2009 — Most American workers said they have not had any direction from their employers regarding the upcoming flu season and continue to feel pressure to show up for work when sick due to the current economic environment, a new survey found.
The survey by Mansfield Communications found that 69% of respondents said they have received no communication about policies in the workplace relating to H1N1, including information about hand-washing or sick leave. Eighty-four percent of American workers believe the recession creates more pressure to show up for work — even if they are feeling sick, the survey found.
“Many workers are understandably concerned about how absenteeism due to sickness will impact their job security in the current economic environment. However, sick employees coming into the office during the H1N1 flu season will undermine the health and productivity of the entire workplace,” said Rob Ireland, partner at Mansfield Communications Inc. “Employers need to clearly communicate with employees about such things as extended sick leave policy and procedures to minimize the spread of infection. During a pandemic, employers must become trusted sources of information and help employees make the right choices.”
The survey found that 80% of workers felt they were knowledgeable about precautions that should be taken if the virus reached their workplace. Yet 47% of the respondents said that they would still engage in public activities (such as riding the bus, picking up a prescription or grocery shopping) even when they were infected with H1N1 and required to stay home from their office due to a company-imposed quarantine.
“The gap between professed knowledge and practice is alarming,” Ireland said. “Nearly half of respondents said that they would continue to engage in public activities with full knowledge of their infection. Clearly, there is much to be done to educate America’s workforce and help people act appropriately in order to contain the spread of H1N1.”
Other key findings:
- When asked how concerned they were about the H1N1 virus, 50% of workers rated their concern a six or higher on a scale of 1-10.
- When asked if they planned to get vaccinated if a vaccine was made available this fall, 49% of all respondents said yes and 51% said no.
- When asked about public activity while infected, 52% of men said that they were either somewhat or very likely to engage in it, while 43% of women said the same.
Survey MethodologyFrom Sept. 10-12, 2009, Angus Reid Strategies conducted an online survey among a randomly selected, representative sample of 1,028 adult Americans. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics most current education, age, gender and regional data to ensure a representative sample of the entire adult population of United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
Contents © 2009 WorldatWork. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from WorldatWork.
See Original Post: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimComment?id=34591
***********************************************************************
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.
WorldatWork.com
Newsline
"Most American Workers Say Their Employers Not Communicating About H1N1 Virus
Sept. 22, 2009 — Most American workers said they have not had any direction from their employers regarding the upcoming flu season and continue to feel pressure to show up for work when sick due to the current economic environment, a new survey found.
The survey by Mansfield Communications found that 69% of respondents said they have received no communication about policies in the workplace relating to H1N1, including information about hand-washing or sick leave. Eighty-four percent of American workers believe the recession creates more pressure to show up for work — even if they are feeling sick, the survey found.
“Many workers are understandably concerned about how absenteeism due to sickness will impact their job security in the current economic environment. However, sick employees coming into the office during the H1N1 flu season will undermine the health and productivity of the entire workplace,” said Rob Ireland, partner at Mansfield Communications Inc. “Employers need to clearly communicate with employees about such things as extended sick leave policy and procedures to minimize the spread of infection. During a pandemic, employers must become trusted sources of information and help employees make the right choices.”
The survey found that 80% of workers felt they were knowledgeable about precautions that should be taken if the virus reached their workplace. Yet 47% of the respondents said that they would still engage in public activities (such as riding the bus, picking up a prescription or grocery shopping) even when they were infected with H1N1 and required to stay home from their office due to a company-imposed quarantine.
“The gap between professed knowledge and practice is alarming,” Ireland said. “Nearly half of respondents said that they would continue to engage in public activities with full knowledge of their infection. Clearly, there is much to be done to educate America’s workforce and help people act appropriately in order to contain the spread of H1N1.”
Other key findings:
- When asked how concerned they were about the H1N1 virus, 50% of workers rated their concern a six or higher on a scale of 1-10.
- When asked if they planned to get vaccinated if a vaccine was made available this fall, 49% of all respondents said yes and 51% said no.
- When asked about public activity while infected, 52% of men said that they were either somewhat or very likely to engage in it, while 43% of women said the same.
Survey MethodologyFrom Sept. 10-12, 2009, Angus Reid Strategies conducted an online survey among a randomly selected, representative sample of 1,028 adult Americans. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics most current education, age, gender and regional data to ensure a representative sample of the entire adult population of United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
Contents © 2009 WorldatWork. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from WorldatWork.
See Original Post: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimComment?id=34591
***********************************************************************
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.
Shortcuts - If Not Passion for the Job, at Least Warm Feelings - NYTimes.com
Shortcuts - If Not Passion for the Job, at Least Warm Feelings - NYTimes.com
If Not Passion for the Job, at Least Warm Feelings
By ALINA TUGEND
Published: September 25, 2009
Excerpts:
I know I’m being somewhat flippant, but I do wonder if passion is being oversold. Are we falling into a trap of believing that our work, and indeed, our lives, should always be fascinating and all-consuming? Are we somehow lacking if we’re bored at times or buried under routine tasks or failing to challenge ourselves at every turn?
Now before I go any further, I know, I know. In these economic times, fewer of us are worried about being fulfilled and more of us are concerned about simply being paid. But as switching jobs and careers becomes increasingly common, as whole professions are disappearing, we’re more frequently forced to ask ourselves what we want to do with the rest of our lives.
That’s where passion comes in.
So first of all, what is it? I turned to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the director of the Quality of Life Research Center at Claremont Graduate University in California, who has looked at the idea, though he calls it “flow.”
“It’s a state of complete involvement,” said Professor Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced CHECK-sent-me-high), who first wrote about this in his book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” (Harper & Row, 1990). It’s when we’re totally immersed in our activity, not watching the clock, not thinking of what others think, but simply absorbed in the experience. He first studied it, he said, in relation to activities people chose freely, like chess players, rock climbers and musicians, then later in terms of work and everyday life.
Although Professor Csikszentmihalyi says he does not believe that people can constantly be in a state of flow, he has written a great deal about how it can be encouraged in the workplace and elsewhere. While he outlines a number of factors needed to feel good about your job or life, two of the major ones are a sense of personal control over a situation or activity and a balance between one’s ability and potential so the endeavor is neither too easy nor too hard.
Read full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/26/your-money/26shortcuts.html
***********************************************************************
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.
If Not Passion for the Job, at Least Warm Feelings
By ALINA TUGEND
Published: September 25, 2009
Excerpts:
I know I’m being somewhat flippant, but I do wonder if passion is being oversold. Are we falling into a trap of believing that our work, and indeed, our lives, should always be fascinating and all-consuming? Are we somehow lacking if we’re bored at times or buried under routine tasks or failing to challenge ourselves at every turn?
Now before I go any further, I know, I know. In these economic times, fewer of us are worried about being fulfilled and more of us are concerned about simply being paid. But as switching jobs and careers becomes increasingly common, as whole professions are disappearing, we’re more frequently forced to ask ourselves what we want to do with the rest of our lives.
That’s where passion comes in.
So first of all, what is it? I turned to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the director of the Quality of Life Research Center at Claremont Graduate University in California, who has looked at the idea, though he calls it “flow.”
“It’s a state of complete involvement,” said Professor Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced CHECK-sent-me-high), who first wrote about this in his book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” (Harper & Row, 1990). It’s when we’re totally immersed in our activity, not watching the clock, not thinking of what others think, but simply absorbed in the experience. He first studied it, he said, in relation to activities people chose freely, like chess players, rock climbers and musicians, then later in terms of work and everyday life.
Although Professor Csikszentmihalyi says he does not believe that people can constantly be in a state of flow, he has written a great deal about how it can be encouraged in the workplace and elsewhere. While he outlines a number of factors needed to feel good about your job or life, two of the major ones are a sense of personal control over a situation or activity and a balance between one’s ability and potential so the endeavor is neither too easy nor too hard.
Read full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/26/your-money/26shortcuts.html
***********************************************************************
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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