How do your employees really feel about their jobs, the company?
The Jet Blue flight attendant who wigged out last week, while admittedly demonstrating in an overly dramatic way that he was fed up with his job, is a sign of things to come if employers do not start paying attention to their employees. In the event that you have missed the news this past week, the Jet Blue flight attendant, after apparently dealing with a rude customer, gave the customer an inappropriate gesture, deployed the emergency chute on the tarmac at the JFK airport, grabbed a beer and exited via the aforementioned chute.
Don’t get me wrong. I in no way support his behavior! However, he has nicely put a face on the hairy beast that business consultants and coaches have been talking about for the past two years. Every organization has rude customers, operational and financial challenges, and employee turnover. But the tough economy, the feeling that job stability is a thing of the past, the ever-decreasing benefits, and bigger workloads has created an atmosphere of malcontent and distrust within the employee ranks.
Unfortunately, most company executives are too far removed from the front line to realize that conditions are ripe for a tsunami of turnover when the recession ends. Supervisors on the front line are busy scrambling to keep their own jobs and are just as frustrated, worried and exhausted as their employees, creating an environment of “every man and woman for themselves!”
Amidst all of this human capital turmoil, and combined with the struggle to keep the business afloat, along comes your favorite consultant and they want to talk about employee engagement. No, we have not lost our minds!
A recent Harris Interactive survey uncovered the following statistics on American job satisfaction:
- Across America, 45 percent of workers say they are either satisfied or extremely satisfied with their jobs.
- Only 20 percent feel very passionate about their jobs.
- Thirty-three percent believe they have reached a dead end in their career.
- Twenty-one percent are eager to change careers.
- Older workers are the most satisfied and the most engaged in their work.
- Younger workers are the most distressed and they feel the least amount of loyalty to their employers.
- Small-firm employees feel far more engaged in their work than their corporate counterparts.
- Job security, health care coverage and professional development are valued above additional compensation.
What is most worrisome is the disconnect between how the workers are really feeling about their jobs and their careers and how management perceives they are feeling. This disconnect is evident in the results from the fourth annual survey of employee job satisfaction, recently released by Salary.com:
- Approximately 65 percent of respondents said they were “somewhat” satisfied, but less than 15 percent said they were “extremely” satisfied.
- Meanwhile, employers believe that 30 percent of their workers are “extremely” satisfied.
- Sixty-five percent of employed survey respondents said they are looking around (up more than 17 percent this year). Sixty percent said they plan to intensify their job search over the next three months despite the economy.
- Nearly 80 percent of responding managers do not believe that their employees will initiate a job search in the next three months.
One reason for this disparity in actual worker satisfaction and managers’ perception of worker satisfaction may be that employees are putting on a “happy face” to ensure that they do not lose their current job. The question then is, “What happens when the job market opens up and new opportunities become available?” I believe that many companies will experience a mass exodus of employees.
A recent survey of 5,000 U.S. workers by The Conference Board found job satisfaction to be the lowest in two decades.
Four key indicators of workers’ job satisfaction dropped sharply from 1987 to 2009:
- Interest in their work, down 18.9 percent
- Job security, down 16.5 percent
- Interest in the people at work, down 11.6 percent
- Satisfaction with their supervisors, down 9.5 percent
Take a few moments to look at, and I mean really look at, your employees. The telltale signs of disengaged employees are obvious.
Disengaged people exist in all types of businesses, across all industries, and they have always been there, just not in the numbers often seen today. You can spot them by their indifferent, blasé attitudes. They don’t care about the company. They probably don’t like their jobs. And, they send negative signals everywhere they go.
Disengaged people are like poison. They don’t perform their own jobs well. They drive customers away. And, they have a bad influence on your other staff. Often, they are the cause of conflict and/or low morale within the ranks. Yet few people start off disengaged. It’s typically a process that happens over time, as employee and employer expectations grow further and further apart.
I feel certain that the Jet Blue flight attendant was probably an engaged worker at one time. The challenge with the process of disengagement is that it can happen slowly and subtly. Most of the time, there are no big red flags or loud alarm bells that announce the growing discontent of employees.
Conversely, an engaged employee goes above and beyond their job descriptions to get things done. They’re committed to the organization’s success, and they’re willing to take on additional responsibilities to ensure that the company is successful. They feel like part of the team and have the “all for one and one for all” attitude.
The benefits of creating an engaged workforce are clear. An engaged workforce:
- Drives customer loyalty
- Reduces conflict in the workplace
- Increases productivity
- Improves profitability
At first blush, creating an engaged workforce may seem like an overwhelming task. The good news is that it is neither extremely costly nor complicated to do so.
Below are my tips for creating employee engagement or re-engaging your employees:
- Define engagement: You must first understand what employee engagement means to your company. There are many definitions, but each company’s culture is unique. Take some time to list the attributes, characteristics and behaviors of engaged employees within your culture, e.g., employees:
- Take pride in their work – delivering quality performance, product and productivity
- Deliver exceptional service to customers, driving customer loyalty
- Go above and beyond expectations on a daily basis
- Perform as a team, working together toward the common goal
- Intend to stay with the company
- Support the company’s decisions during difficult as well as prosperous times
- Display the attitude of “We’re all in this together”
- Clarify the vision: It is impossible for employees to be engaged if they do not understand the vision for the future, the goals of the organization, and their part in fulfilling the vision and reaching the goals.
- Clear expectations: Clearly state expectations for employees’ results and behaviors, holding them accountable for results and behaviors.
- Communicate: Give them the good news and the bad news. Do not blindside employees with bad news that affects them. If you are trying to avoid layoffs and/or furloughs by cutting hours, let them know the reasoning behind your decision.
- Reward and recognize: Let employees know that their contributions are appreciated.
- Involve the employees: When you are facing tough decisions or if you are experiencing operational challenges, ask for their ideas and input.
- Understand the leaders’ role in the engagement process: There is a direct correlation between the leaders’ behaviors and the level of engagement within the company. Leaders must demonstrate the same traits and behaviors that are expected of the employees. Leaders who are open and honest in communications, who are focused on the well-being of the employee, demonstrate positive support for the organization, and role model an engagement culture have a positive impact on the overall morale within the employee ranks.
Mike Dolen, managing partner of Kenexa’s Global Survey Practice, says, “Improving employee engagement does not have to be overwhelming. There are many ways to take small, incremental steps that lead to sustained improvement.” Whether you adopt all of the steps above to engage or re-engage your employees may depend on your assessed level of engagement within your organization. But, whatever you do, do something. Your employees represent your brand and they have a powerful impact on your bottom line.
I would be very interested in any ideas that you have for future topics. Please feel free to contact me by commenting here, sending an e-mail to debbiez@lsapartners.com, or calling me at 407-497-0075. You may also want to visit our Web site at http://www.lsapartners.com for the latest and greatest on leadership and workforce development, operational effectiveness and other topics.
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Filed Under: Featured, Featured Category, People Management | Tags: business management, change management, maintenance management, People Management, plant management
