As doubts re-emerge about the strength of economic recovery in the U.S., a new global workforce study by Towers Watson reveals that 63% of U.S. employees are not fully engaged in their work and struggling to cope when sufficient support is not provided.
The research suggests employees are finding it difficult to sustain the kind of positive connection to their companies that yields consistent productivity – the result of nearly a decade of pressure to do more with less and respond to the challenges of global competition, ever-evolving technology and the ongoing need for strict cost management.
“When workers are not fully engaged, it leads to greater performance risk for employers,” said Julie Gebauer, managing director, talent and rewards, Towers Watson. “It makes companies more vulnerable to lower productivity, higher inefficiency, weaker customer service and greater rates of absenteeism and turnover. Without attention and interventions aimed at improving on-the-job support for employees and creating a sense of attachment to the organization, this trend could worsen – and directly affect business outcomes.”
The study breaks new ground in understanding and measuring what contributes to sustained employee engagement in the workplace today, and demonstrates the strength of the relationship between “sustainable engagement” and specific financial outcomes for employers, according to Towers Watson.
“This is an important wake-up call for U.S. companies if they hope to sustain their growth,” said Laura Sejen, global practice leader, rewards, Towers Watson. “When we looked at sustainable engagement scores among 50 global companies in a related piece of research and examined their one-year operating margins, we saw dramatic evidence of the impact of sustainable engagement on performance. The companies with high sustainable engagement had operating margins almost three times those of organizations with a largely disengaged workforce. That fact alone creates a compelling case for change.”
The Towers Watson study uses a specific set of questions to measure and classify respondents as to their level of sustainable engagement. Overall, the study showed that only 37% of U.S. workers are highly engaged in a sustainable way, meaning they scored high on all three elements of sustainable engagement.
Just over one-quarter (27%) are classified as unsupported, meaning they display traditional engagement, but lack the enablement and/or energy required for sustainable engagement. Thirteen percent are detached, meaning they feel enabled and/or energized but are not willing to go the extra mile. And almost one-quarter (23%) are completely disengaged, with less favorable scores for all three aspects of sustainable engagement.
Other key findings include:
- Fewer than half (47%) agree there are no substantial obstacles to getting their job done well.
- Slightly more than half (53%) don’t feel their organization makes it possible for them to have a healthy balance between work and personal life.
- Just under a third (30%) say they’re bothered by excess pressure on the job.
- Just under half (47%) believe their supervisors don’t have enough time to handle the people aspects of their role.
- Under one-third (32%) say their organization does a good job of providing opportunities for advancement.
- Only 37% agree their senior management does a good job at developing future leaders.
- Just under half (49%) say they have trust and confidence in their company’s senior leadership team.
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8 Comments
Posted by: John K | December 28, 2012 5:50 AM
Wow - didn't realize this was an opportunity to express displeasure with the current administration! This study simply confirms that for 20 years now, people have been asked to do more with less, support is considered to be what you are expected to do after 5 PM on your own time. Retirement plans are now expected to be 100% self-funded. Downsizing is considered the priority strategic project, followed closely by outsourcing. Age discrimination is standard. Employee disengagement - surprised? Fed regulations and the onslaught of new taxes will not help. The question is - what are employers to do to reverse this - if they want to? The middle class is now history - get used to it! The recent elections confirmed it, and U.S. employers drove it. Better bottom line short term, but what do they do now?
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Posted by: CoolMoG | July 18, 2012 8:35 AM
How is this study news? Anyone who is paying attention knows that employees walk in the door everyday expecting it to be their last. They are watching their government do absolutely NOTHING to curb the flow of imported labor. We are importing more people from various parts of Asia than ever DESPITE persistent high unemployment and higher underemployment. American based firms are replacing citizens with imported labor each and every day.Not a single C level executive at any of the big banks has been held to account for his/her actions in the aftermath of the mortgage mess of 2007/2008. In fact just the opposite. Most of the C suite that was around in 2007/2008 have walked away with millions. In the name of bailouts, our government is printing money at an alarming rate which has destroyed the only safe investment, government debt. This combined with the volatile stock market has just killed retirement portfolios. Did we really need a survey to point out that people feel disengaged from their jobs? I think the problem is bigger than that and job satisfaction is just a tiny symptom. This is text book Maslow's Hierarchy.It is hard to demonstrate self-actualization and belonging when a basic sense of safety and well-being are challenged.DUH! TowersWatson.... DUH!
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Posted by: Marc0 | July 16, 2012 3:02 PM
I believe the last comment kind of sums it up. People need a better sense of security to function well in the work place. Small business owners are left, grabbing at straws to figure out what to do in this new confluence of vague government and stiff regulation. They seem to be biding their time for clear rules and clear direction from the government and economic direction. Motivation comes from the top down and results come from the motivated labor force up.
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Posted by: sunforester | July 16, 2012 11:04 AM
Let's see... how do we interpret this news? Here is a study done and reported by people who provide the very services that this study conveniently shows employers need urgently.We are being told here that at a time when jobs are scarce and precious that employees are very disconnected with their management and feel that they need more work/life balance and opportunities for advancement. How trivial, superficial and worthless.Towers Watson obviously wants more business for themselves, but by focusing on the trivial and superficial, they completely miss the fact that workers need employers that are still open for business in this government-destroyed economy. Touting feel-good programs that sold well in a fast cash economy may have worked before 2009, but that reality is long gone.Towers Watson needs to wake up and smell the fire burning in our economy. Our businesses don't need happy talk with their employees with Towers Watson as a fancy mediator - they need to have employees in sync with them as a means for survival. When Towers Watson starts focusing on what really makes employers and employees succeed together in 2012 (not 2009), then they might actually have something to sell.
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