Didn’t all those CEOs say people are our most valuable resource
I'm sure I wasn't imagining this. The CEO proclaiming the importance to the organisation of their people. It is a good soundbite I suppose and plays to the audience.
But the facts don't seem to support that this claim was anything more than some empty words. Indeed, you could be forgiven for becoming a bit depressed with some of the findings we’re seeing in recent research reports. The latest one I've read is the Work Project from Bristol-based agency Home. Simply, it appears that business plc is not doing a good enough job in engaging their people.
Maybe this is why people like my True colleague Ann-Marie and myself, and others, are setting up small consultancies with the aim of helping organisations look at this afresh because these reports seem to suggest that much of what has happened to this point isn’t working.
As with all these reports there is plenty to think about. Below are some of things that caught my eye.
30% of the 4,200 who answered the survey said they would actively recommend where they work. This means that 70% wouldn’t.
34% of employees working for organisations with the least healthy cultures are actively looking for a new job. As the report helpfully clarifies this means that for every 1,000 employed, 340 are actively looking to leave.
It is not much better in organisations with the healthiest cultures where 24% are still actively looking to leave. Just think of the recruitment costs and the loss of productivity that emanates from at least a quarter of employees looking to leave. Scary!
It’s not all doom and gloom and I like that almost 80% of people know how the work they do contributes to the goals and success of their employer. If you believe in the 80-20 rule then this is a decent result - though not a cause for complacency. Especially because if 4 out of 5 understand the value of their contribution yet most of them are not engaged then something is going wrong somewhere.
Some really interesting stats about values. 77% say their company has a set of values (surprised that figure is as low as 77%) yet only 54% say these values are true to life. My view on values in organisations are probably best saved for another article (hint, I despair about how organisations talk about values).
I liked the way the report defines what employees are looking for from leaders and how this is changing, as employees value the quality of human interactions over inspirational speaking and structure. Employees are seeking trusted relationships with leaders who care for their individual needs. And of the qualities a “dream leader” would have, great to see listening coming out as number one.
There’s plenty more interesting stuff in the report including some good commentary on belonging and detailed breakdowns of the types of people who are in turn least likely and most likely to be looking for a new job – but you’ll have to read the report to find out more. It’s worth doing.
