Give Your Employees Something (or Rather, Someone) to Believe In
September 16, 2008
Okay, maybe I’m kind of ripping off Poison and their hit ’80s ballad here , but it’s for a good cause. Promise.
With fluctuating gas prices, a presidential election in less than two months, and the tumultuous Wall Street events of the past few days, the importance of leadership is on the minds of many, including your own employees. They are feeling the tension of recent events as you likely are, and worrying about how things are going to look once the dust settles. This being said, they need strong and competent leaders in their professional lives more than ever.
Problem is, not all bosses are stacking up.
A newly released CareerBuilder.com survey of over 8,700 workers has revealed that almost half of workers (45 percent) report not feeling secure in the overlying C-level leadership of their organization. Only 50 percent of workers surveyed ranked senior management’s performance as “good” or “great.” Fifty-five percent of workers said that senior management does not make an effort to have working relationships with employees on every level. Read the full press release here.
While the majority of workers are satisfied with the performance of their direct supervisor (73 percent), there are issues there, too. According to survey results, workers generally respect their direct bosses and regard them highly as far as character, trustworthiness and communication skills. However, they tend to rate their bosses lower on the scale when it comes to the ability of said bosses to motivate, help them learn, or work to put them on a path to promotion.
Startingly, over half of workers said they don’t feel motivated within their organizations and expressed a desire for more personal attention and development.
Employees on their direct bosses:
*While workers ranked their bosses high in overall character, they ranked them lower in leadership.
*Character-wise, 73 percent ranked their bosses as trustworthy, 70 percent said their boss is respected in the organization, and 65 percent said their boss is an effective communicator.
*Fifty-one percent said their boss does not motivate them or help them move ahead, and 41 percent said they don’t learn from their bosses.
*Thirty percent of workers surveyed said that they think they could do their boss’s job better.
“As we function in an economy beleaguered by uncertainty and instability, communication and motivation at all levels of an organization are imperative to weathering the storm,” said Jason Ferrara, vice president of corporate marketing at CareerBuilder.com. “Leaders need to invest in the career development of workers and reinforce the value that employees bring to their business to crate a healthy and open workplace culture.”
In drilling down more specifically, the survey results found that there are some popular complaints among employees when describing their workplace relationships.
The main complaints about bosses?
*Plays favorites (23 percent)
*Doesn’t lead by example (23 percent)
*Is never around (14 percent)
*Never provides positive feedback (13 percent)
Putting it in perspective
Every workplace is different, and obviously, these issues don’t necessarily speak to all workplaces and all bosses everywhere. But it may be cause for concern - and at the very least, cause for those in leadership positions at an organization to put a little extra thought into all of these key areas. For instance, are you as a leader communicating effectively with your employees? Do your employees trust you and feel comfortable discussing important issues with you? Do you foster an environment of learning and provide a solid path to future growth? And how can you help bridge those gaps between your employees and your own bosses?
If office life appears to have become routine for your employees, consider lightening up a tense work environment by having a little more fun. And while you may think you are living up to their expectations, your employees may not agree, and it’s important to address concerns before they become as blown out as Bret Michaels’s hair.
I don’t think I could have said it better than the black leather (pleather?) and tight jeans-wearing men of the famed ‘80s band. In light of all of the uncertainty surrounding your employees, now, more than ever, they need your leadership.
Now, more than ever, they need you.
- Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Leadership Development, Survey Results
Loading ...