Employees Growing Restless

Training & Development, Mar 2008 by Laff, Michael

Surveys of employee attitudes often paint a bleak picture, but as long as employers insist upon checking the pulse of their staff, they need to be prepared for good and bad news.

A recent survey conducted by BlessingWhite, a New Jersey-based consulting agency indicates that a greater number of employees are casting an eye toward the door compared with just two years ago. Still a majority of employees said they "definitely" plan to stay with their employer during 2008.

A total of 58 percent of employees say they definitely plan to stay with their current employer this year, down from 65 percent two years ago when the survey was last conducted. The percentage of employees who said there is "no way" they will stay with their current employer increased from 6 percent to 8 percent.

Mary Ann Masarech, director of research and marketing at BlessingWhile, says that the percent of disgruntled employees, while troublesome, should be less of a concern than the number offence sitters, the ones who said they will "probably" stay with their employer which increased from 29 percent in 2006 to 34 percent. They are considered at risk to leave.

"Some of the 8 percent you might want to head for the door," she says. "The ones who are on the fence are the ones to worry about. You want them to say they will definitely stay."

The reasons for cited by individuals in the "probably" category include not enough opportunities, a desire for change and to a lesser degree, a dislike of current tasks.

Most individuals cite their pursuit of a new or expanded career opportunity as the reason for leaving or wanting to leave. A desire to leave an ineffective manager typically ranks third on the list of reasons.

"In general people like the work they do," Masarech says. "They leave organizations to pursue career opportunities."

There was no appreciable difference between male and female respondents. Most of the survey participants were managers or above, and more than 90 percent have been working with their current employer longer than one year.

American employers can take solace in comparison with their European counterparts where restless employees register greater frustration. Only 49 percent of European respondents said they would definitely stay with their employer during the current year. In Asia 54 percent of respondents say they will definitely stay while 39 percent say probably.

Michael Laff