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Recent research shows employees are both satisfied and ready to leave. How can you ensure they aren’t going to bolt when they get another offer?
Two recent surveys of full- and part-time workers in the U.S. and Great Britain show a telling dichotomy: Employees are both satisfied as well as ready to leave.
A March 2011 survey of U.S. workers conducted by polling firm Harris Interactive on behalf of Plateau Systems showed that 69 percent are either satisfied or very satisfied with their employment, yet 74 percent indicated they would consider leaving their job if approached with a new offer. Slightly fewer are satisfied with their employment in the U.K. with 62 percent saying they’re satisfied or very satisfied, according to a March 2011 Plateau-commissioned poll by YouGov.
Despite these relatively high job satisfaction statistics, the wide majority of workers — 74 percent in the U.S. and 68 percent in the Great Britain — would also consider leaving if a new job offer arose.
Salary, career advancement opportunities and the need for change topped the list of reasons in both countries, and the desire for better career and/or advancement opportunities at work was tops for the 15 to 20 percent of active job seekers.
What does this mean and what can HR leaders do about it?
A March 2011 survey of U.S. workers conducted by polling firm Harris Interactive on behalf of Plateau Systems showed that 69 percent are either satisfied or very satisfied with their employment, yet 74 percent indicated they would consider leaving their job if approached with a new offer. Slightly fewer are satisfied with their employment in the U.K. with 62 percent saying they’re satisfied or very satisfied, according to a March 2011 Plateau-commissioned poll by YouGov.
Despite these relatively high job satisfaction statistics, the wide majority of workers — 74 percent in the U.S. and 68 percent in the Great Britain — would also consider leaving if a new job offer arose.
Salary, career advancement opportunities and the need for change topped the list of reasons in both countries, and the desire for better career and/or advancement opportunities at work was tops for the 15 to 20 percent of active job seekers.
What does this mean and what can HR leaders do about it?
Looking at the survey results compared to similar surveys, including a recent poll conducted by the Conference Board, shows higher job satisfaction being reported. This may be an indication that the long “Great Recession” and relatively slow recovery in employment is impacting employees’ definition of “satisfied.”
It might be that merely being employed constitutes the new definition for satisfied in the minds of employees. That would also explain the dichotomy between high job satisfaction and high consideration of other options.
With social media and the prevalence of professional sites such as LinkedIn, it’s easier than even to be a passive job seeker. The survey indicates a problem that goes well beyond top performers. Employers need to think about retaining a much larger percentage of their workforce.
What HR leaders really want to know is: How can I make sure my employees — and especially top talent — aren’t going to bolt when things get better or when they simply get another job offer?
One way to address this issue is by putting the organization’s talent management strategy front and center.
Promoting career and development programs for employees and giving a clear picture of their future with the company is one way HR leaders can positively impact employee engagement and retention. They can also provide greater transparency around the criteria for career advancement opportunities by establishing clear objectives and position-based competencies.
It’s also imperative that HR and business leaders get better insight about their workforce. Which high performers and high potentials are flight risks? What would it take to secure their position with the company? Increasing the frequency of performance reviews can also make a difference by allowing business leaders to take the pulse of their employees and identify these potential flight risks.
In addition, linking pay to performance can help ensure that top-performing and high-potential employees are fairly compensated.
Source: http://humancapitalmedia.comIt might be that merely being employed constitutes the new definition for satisfied in the minds of employees. That would also explain the dichotomy between high job satisfaction and high consideration of other options.
With social media and the prevalence of professional sites such as LinkedIn, it’s easier than even to be a passive job seeker. The survey indicates a problem that goes well beyond top performers. Employers need to think about retaining a much larger percentage of their workforce.
What HR leaders really want to know is: How can I make sure my employees — and especially top talent — aren’t going to bolt when things get better or when they simply get another job offer?
One way to address this issue is by putting the organization’s talent management strategy front and center.
Promoting career and development programs for employees and giving a clear picture of their future with the company is one way HR leaders can positively impact employee engagement and retention. They can also provide greater transparency around the criteria for career advancement opportunities by establishing clear objectives and position-based competencies.
It’s also imperative that HR and business leaders get better insight about their workforce. Which high performers and high potentials are flight risks? What would it take to secure their position with the company? Increasing the frequency of performance reviews can also make a difference by allowing business leaders to take the pulse of their employees and identify these potential flight risks.
In addition, linking pay to performance can help ensure that top-performing and high-potential employees are fairly compensated.
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