UK managers trail behind their global counterparts when it comes to motivating their employees, new research has found.
A survey of 7,000 professionals worldwide, conducted by HR consultancy BlessingWhite, found that nearly one-quarter of UK-based respondents said they were discontented and unproductive, or ‘disengaged’.
According to BlessingWhite, that puts the UK second only ahead of China as having the most disengaged workforce.
The survey found that 23% of UK respondents described themselves as ‘fully engaged’, increasing to almost half of so-called ‘Generation Y’ employees, who have only recently entered the workplace.
Only 3% of those interviewed said they would stay in their role because they were committed to their boss, and fewer than one in five felt their current job offered significant opportunities to advance their career.
And only 11% of UK managers said they planned to leave their current roles at some point this year.
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Tom Barry, European managing director of BlessingWhite, said: “At this time of economic uncertainty, businesses need reliable and consistent leadership to inspire employees to achieve high performance and help them stay competitive.
“It is impossible to retain employees without the right level of managerial engagement, and according to our study, 54% of UK managers will ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ leave their organisation in 2008,” Barry said.
