Don’t be a fool to Numbers
We are finally glad to know within the job market, unemployment rates have taken some rest. The trend has been reflected in job postings and unfreezing of some and not all hire freezes. But what about the employees who have had a job? What about that position that hasn’t been vacant? Does a filled position and an accounted for employee automatically equal productivity? Survey says “No”.
A recent study in job satisfaction in the U.S. indicates that a little more than half of the U.S. workers are now unhappy with their jobs. This is the highest this number has been since 1987 (first time the survey was first done). What is even more disturbing is that this downward trend cannot be only attributed to the recession.
On the one hand, one in 10 Americans is currently unemployed. On the other hand, their working counterparts in all age and income categories continue to be unhappy with their jobs. Therefore regardless of economic growth or regression, during the past two decades, our job satisfaction numbers have been consistently low. What does this translate in to for you and your organization?
Remember those science equations back in college days? Well here they are again: Unsatisfied employees=disengaged employees=low productivity within organization=decreased profits year after year. In other words, your organization can go bottom up!
What can you do? Study your organization within all job categories and positions carefully. Study succession plans and retention data. How are your performance appraisals tied into your organization strategy and how equitable are they? If your organization is a large one, all this may seem overwhelmingly expensive and out of the question right now. But if you consider the hard fact that the costs of replacing an employee is at least equal to that of an entire years’ pay for that employee, you may gain some perspective and hopefully “wings” to do something about the problem now.
A carefully devised assessment tool custom designed for your type organization and your employee size, can not only confidentially detect signs of dissatisfaction, but can also lead you into employee enrichment programs and job design tools that can make your shareholders go Hmmm.
Innovent Consulting’s in-depth assessment tools have proven effective for so many organizations in the past and they can help improve your bottom-line as well. If you believe what your organization offers is a sound product/service, equip your employees to achieve rather than fail. Bottom-line Don’t be stuck asking “what if”, dig deeper.
