Employee satisfaction is nearing an all-time low, and companies and managers need to work to improve worker engagement, according to BusinessWeek columnist and business consultant John Baldoni.
Baldoni says that incentive and reward programs can play a valuable role in the workplace by making employees feel more rewarded for their work. He says some employees feel that they have taken play cuts while higher executives have not – creating feelings of resentment.
But in addition to recognition and reward programs, Baldoni says that managers also need to work to address many of the underlying problems employees are dealing with. Many of those problems, such as allowing flexible scheduling or cleaner break rooms, can be easily fixed, and also play an important part in having motivated employees.
A new survey of workers by the Hay Group found that 59 percent of employees are either actively looking for new jobs or considering leaving their current employers. More than 85 percent of respondents who said they were staying put also cited a poor jobs market as their reason for staying, rather than positive feelings towards their employer.
