More Bad Bosses

Trying to get more productivity out of your employees? According to a new study by HR consultants Towers Perrin, there is a vast reserve of untapped “employee performance potential” at most companies. If you can engage these employees, you will have a new resource of effort, ideas and productivity.

The global survey of more than 85,000 employees found just 14% are fully engaged on the job and willing to go the extra mile for their companies. In the U.S., that figure is just 21%.

“The vast majority of the people we surveyed are moderately engaged at best, and a quarter of them are actively disengaged,” said a TP analyst.

How important is engagement?
* 84% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact the quality of their company’s products, compared with 31% of the disengaged.
* 72% of the highly engaged believe they can positively affect customer service, versus 27% of the disengaged.

Engaged employees are also less likely to leave for another job. Worldwide, 59% of the highly engaged survey respondents planned to stay with their current employer, compared with just 24% of the disengaged group.

If you think disengagement is not your fault, think again. The survey find employees have scant faith in management’s ability to inspire and lead.
For instance:
* Just 41% think their senior management supports new ideas and new ways of doing things.
* Only 40% think senior management acts in a way that’s consistent with their values.
* Just 37% believe management tries to be accessible to employees.
* Only 36% think senior management effectively communicates the reasons for important business decisions.
* And a mere third believe management communicates openly and honestly to employees.

“Employees are looking for guidance, direction, vision and clarity -- from both top management and their direct supervisors,” says another TP spokesman. “They don’t believe either are delivering.”

Add that to your to-do list. And in upcoming posts, we’ll look at some solutions.

Click here for our previous post on Bad Bosses.