| | Some of the most
pervasive beliefs about
the workforce have
recently been challenged
by findings from Towers
Perrin’s 2007 Global
Workforce Study – among
them, that workers are
highly stressed, that
they resent the demands
of new technologies and
that they dislike their
bosses.
To understand what
drives employees to
perform and succeed,
Towers Perrin recently
surveyed nearly 90,000
employees in 18
countries. The survey,
which explored the
drivers of workforce
engagement – employees’
willingness to go the
extra mile to help their
companies succeed – also
exploded many of the
myths that surround
today’s workforce.
“Good stress” has
its place
Concerns about the
negative effects of a
“stressed out” workforce
appear to be overstated,
according to the Towers
Perrin findings. In
fact, 68% of those
surveyed reported being
neutral to energised by
on-the-job stress.
“The number of
employees who indicated
a level of comfort and
even positive energy in
response to work-related
stress confirms that
challenging work helps
employees remain focused
and interested
throughout their daily
routines, and more eager
to contribute,” said Max
Caldwell, managing
principal of the firm’s
global Workforce
Effectiveness practice.
“At the same time, our
respondents do want more
work/life balance, and
they are looking to
their employers, and
especially their
managers, to help them
achieve that balance in
ways that support both
their own career | |
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| | aspirations and the
company’s needs.”
Technology is not
the enemy
One of the ways to
achieve balance is
through increased use of
technology, which is
viewed as a positive
factor in the work
experience and not as
the 24/7 “virtual
prison” it’s often made
out to be.
“The near-ubiquitous
presence of cell phones,
laptops and personal
electronic devices means
that employees can now
access e-mail,
voicemail, calendars,
documents and
presentations from
virtually anywhere,
anytime,” said Caldwell.
“Far from being a
problem, the vast
majority of our survey
respondents (86%) feel
this is actually helping
them achieve some level
of balance between their
personal and
professional lives.
“This positive
response not only
contradicts the common
belief that technology
keeps employees chained
to their jobs and
dominates their time
away from the office,
but also signals that
employees are realistic
about the demands of
today’s global business
environment, and they’re
willing to do what’s
necessary to achieve
work/life balance in a
world that operates
literally around the
clock.”
Working to live
Yet another prevalent
myth is that today’s
workforce is “living to
work,” choosing to put
work at the centre of
their lives. While
people are working hard
– putting in, on
average, almost 45 hours
per week, with almost a
fifth working 51 hours
or more routinely – few | |
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| | employees actually share
that view. More than
half the respondents
(59%) reported that they
work to support their
lives and the needs of
their families, versus
18% who agreed that work
actually is the most
important aspect of
their lives. The
distinction was more
apparent in America,
despite a common view
that “workaholism” has
spread outward from the
US. Among the US
respondents, almost
three-quarters (72%)
agreed that they
essentially work to
live, with only 9%
putting work at the
centre of their lives.
“Globally, we found
that the ability to
balance personal and
professional life is the
fifth most critical
factor in employee
retention,” said
Caldwell. “With
work/life balance
playing a major role in
organisations’ ability
to retain employees, it
makes sense for
employers to take an
active role in helping
the workforce achieve
the right combination of
personal and
professional
satisfaction.”
In fact, 42% of the
respondents agreed that
their organisation had
policies and programmes
to help them balance
work and personal life
responsibilities; only
24% disagreed. And 51%
said their manager was
fair and consistent in
enabling work/life
flexibility. In the US,
this percentage was even
higher, at 63%.
Globally, however, 59%
also noted they were
sometimes or frequently
frustrated by their own
efforts to balance work
and personal life,
suggesting that a
disconnect remains in
how employers and
employees perceive the | |
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| | “deal” and their
respective
responsibilities in this
area.
Workers have a
positive outlook
While comic strips
and television shows
make light of workforce
negativity and malaise,
the Towers Perrin survey
found that most workers
are satisfied, with a
positive outlook about
themselves and their
organisations. Some key
points were:
? Nearly two-thirds
of the respondents (63%)
were confident that they
would be successful, and
a full 60% were
optimistic about their
future. Among US
respondents, the picture
was even brighter, with
75% believing they would
succeed and 67%
optimistic about the
future.
? The majority of
respondents (69%)
indicated that work was
completely energising
(16%) or lifted their
spirits somewhat (53%).
? An overwhelming 86%
of employees worldwide
liked or loved their
job; 77% liked or loved
their company, and 73%
liked or loved their
boss. In the US, this
optimism was even
greater, with 82% of
respondents saying they
liked or loved their
company and 83% saying
they liked or loved
their boss.
At the same time, the
research shows that
employers are not fully
harnessing employees’
confidence and energy.
Globally, the study
found a substantial
“engagement gap”, with
only 21% of the
workforce fully engaged
at work and 38%
disenchanted or
disengaged. While the
gap in the US was | |
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| | somewhat smaller – with
29% of U.S. workers
engaged and 28%
disenchanted or
disengaged – it remains
substantial enough to
concern US employers,
particularly as they
focus on sustaining and
enhancing performance in
a more challenging
market environment.
Company outweighs
manager relationships
Finally, the study
debunks a widely
entrenched view that the
first-line manager is
the single most
important factor in
employees’ engagement
and performance. While a
good relationship with
one’s direct manager
remains very important,
the actions of senior
leadership and overall
workplace programmes and
policies hold even
greater weight. Indeed,
the organisation itself
is one of the most
powerful influences on
employee engagement.
Senior leadership’s
decisions and
visibility, along with
learning and advancement
opportunities, ranked
higher than the direct
manager relationship as
a driver of higher
employee engagement.
“We’ve found that a
company’s reputation and
its senior leadership
wield enormous influence
over employee
attitudes,” said
Caldwell. “When these
factors combine with
positive direct-manager
relationships,
organisations can
cultivate even more
positive environments
for their workforce –
leading to greater
productivity, engagement
and success.”
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