Topic: Employee Engagement
Author(s), Title and Publication
BlessingWhite. (2011). Employee Engagement Report—2011. Princeton, NJ: BlessingWhite, Inc.
Summary
This report is the fourth in a series that has examined levels of employee engagement globally. Nearly 11,000 employees were surveyed in 2011, representing a cross section of countries, job functions, roles, and industries. The research measured employee engagement levels and highlighted the engagement-retention connection, key drivers of engagement, and leader behaviors that influence engagement.
Results revealed that 31% of surveyed employees were engaged and 17% were disengaged, roughly the same as the 2008 survey results despite three years of global recession. India had the highest level of engagement (37%) and China the lowest (17%); levels in North America were 33% engaged and 18% disengaged. Engagement levels were higher among older, longer seniority, and higher-level employees. No differences were seen by gender or organizational size. Key drivers of employee engagement were found to be clarity of job role, opportunities for development and training, regular and specific performance feedback, trust in leaders and managers, and a high-performance work environment.
Sixty-one percent of employees said they planned to remain with their organizations for the next 12 months; the levels were 56% in North America, 48% in Europe, and 73% in SE Asia. The chief reason for staying was the work itself. Work that is meaningful or challenging was valued more than compensation and promotions. Training and career development opportunities were found to be top drivers of employee satisfaction, while lack of growth or advancement opportunities was the top reason employees leave. Employees trusted their supervisors more than their senior leaders, but trust in senior leaders correlated more strongly with high engagement. Less than half of the directors and VPs surveyed were engaged in their work. The three actions of senior leaders associated with the highest levels of engagement were creating a high-performance work environment, communicating honestly, and modeling core organizational values. However, fewer than 60% of surveyed employees agreed that their leaders acted in these ways.
Implications for Practice
Communicators can help employees understand the line of sight of their work to organizational goals, and arm managers and supervisors with narratives and information to fuel discussion and build dialogue with work teams. They also can help leaders develop authentic leadership skills, enhance communication competencies, and increase visibility with employees and managers. In addition, communicators should ensure that engagement results are openly communicated and their organizations act on those findings.
Location of Article
This report is available online at: http://www.blessingwhite.com/eee__report.asp
