As sick as we all are of hearing about the importance of “employee engagement,” it’s a concern that’s not going away. And a new report illustrates just how complicated the engagement issue really is.

OK, let’s begin with this dichotomy: New research from HR consulting giant Randstad reveals that three quarters (75%) of U.S. employees say they feel inspired to do their best and 66% feel that their efforts are valued and recognized.

But then there’s this: The number of workers who said they were planning to explore the job market rose by six percent in a single three-month period this year (51% in Q2 versus 45% in Q1).

And this: More than half of the workers surveyed (58%) said their career has stalled and it’ll be hard — or impossible — to get it back on track.

A muddy picture

Clearly, there are mixed messages here. Here’s Ranstad’s rundown of employees’ attitudes about their jobs:

  • 75% feel inspired to do their best
  • 73% say they’re proud to work for their organization
  • 69% say they enjoy going to work every day
  • 66% feel their efforts are recognized and valued
  • 62% trust organization leaders to make good decisions, and
  • 64% feel the organization shares their values.

Nothing wrong with those numbers, right?

Well, check this out:  While 61% said they plan to continue their careers with their current employers (which could be explained by the 58% who don’t believe they could find a suitable job in today’s market),

  • 51% plan to explore other options when the job market picks up
  • 50% say they’ll have to switch employers to grow their careers
  • 50% say the economy negatively affected their career plans, and
  • 41% say because of the recession and tight job market, they feel “left behind” in their careers.

Rescuing the ‘left behind’

Seems to us that 41% group should concern employers most. Randstad HR honcho Jim Link put it pretty succinctly: “Companies will lose top talent now if they don’t address employees’ fears around stalled career growth due to the economy.”

There are a lot of theories about what will help ignite and feed engagement, but the Randstad survey participants offered a reasonable checklist:

  • offering promotions or bonuses to high performers — 36%
  • providing a comfortable and stimulating work environment –30%
  • encouraging employees to share ideas and opinions — 28%
  • investing in training and development programs — 28%
  • a formal structure to recognize and reward top performers — 21%
  • regular performance reviews — 16%, and
  • social or team building activities — 10%.

How many of the “left behind” employees are there in your organization? And how are you trying to re-engage them?

 

 

 

 

Resources
Post Your Resume to 65+ Job Sites
Resume Service

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post