Job security is down but employee engagement remains unchanged according to Best Companies, the organisation behind the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For lists.
Best Companies are workplace engagement specialists who aim to “help make the world a better workplace”.
Over the last decade Best Companies have researched and identified the drivers in sustainable business performance; their research shows that the key to this is workplace engagement.
Best Companies have researched more than 900,000 employee opinions from thousands of organisations across the UK, giving them unparalleled data and real-life examples of best practice that shows organisations how they can boost performance in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
It will hardly come as a surprise to learn that job security is down.
This year’s research by Best Companies shows, compared to last year’s scores, that 8.5% less employees responded positively to the question “I feel my job is secure”.
What might be more surprising however is that overall engagement scores have not changed since last year (71% positive scores for both 2008 and 2009). The research also found more employees are feeling stressed and under pressure, with respondents feeling less excitement about their future.
What does this mean for employers? Quite simply, employees are stressed and under pressure to perform and retain their positions within organisations. Specifically those in large organisations with the biggest change; 7.6% more employees feel their job is not secure compared to last year.
Do employees blame their employers? The good news is that they don’t. These findings imply that although employees are recognising their jobs might not be as secure and the future not as bright, they do not blame their company but acknowledge this as a wider issue and still remain engaged and committed at work.
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Although it is undoubtedly good news that these engagement scores are positive, this does not mean it is time to rest on your laurels.
Good clear communication acknowledging the impact the current economic climate is having on your organisation is essential in maintaining high levels of workplace engagement.
