Senior leaders in the UK need to step out of the boardroom and onto the office floor in a bid to get to know their employees, HR consultancy RightCoutts has warned.
The call came after a survey of more than 2,000 UK staff revealed that 49% have never had a conversation with their employer.
Nearly one-quarter of employees don’t even know the name of their managing director or chief executive officer – even though most respondents work for small- to medium-sized companies. Half claim their company director doesn’t know who they are either.
Erling Nottaasen, principal consultant at RightCoutts, said: “Our research shows a surprising lack of contact in the workplace between leaders and their staff. This apparent anonymity could be hindering business growth and damaging staff motivation.
“Some of the most admired and successful leaders display a gritty determination not to lose touch with their staff, regardless of how large the organisation is. We come across many senior people who believe that ‘shop-floor’ contact is critical to their success as a leader, and has a positive impact on the company’s performance.”
Further results reveal that 41% of workers think the reason for employee disengagement is because their chief executive or managing director is too focused on senior managers. More than one-quarter think their leader is not hands-on or interested in all areas of the company.
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