The commitment of UK workers has fallen for the fourth consecutive year,
with employers struggling to meet the expectations of the workforce.
A major study of more than 1,500 workers shows the commitment of UK staff
has fallen from 91.4 on the AON Workforce Commitment Index in 2002, to just 91
this year.
The research shows that the UK now lags behind many of its global
competitors including Australia, South Africa and, crucially, the US, where
commitment was 99.7.
The scores, which range from 25 to 125, are based on five factors:
productivity, pride, retention, responsibility and trust.
The findings mirror the conclusions of last month’s Investors in People
research, which also pointed to a growing disconnection between managers and
staff.
Engagement is a crucial problem, with 61 per cent of staff reporting they no
longer trust their organisation’s leaders, while 38 per cent said that they less
valued than customers and shareholders.
Job security is another key concern of the workforce, with 22 per cent
worried they could be made redundant, and 39 per cent seeing no direct link
between performance and pay.
Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser at the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development, said good line management was key to improving the
current situation.
"I don’t think there’s any one simple answer, but it’s about
enlightened people management as well as job design, training and
communication," he said.
He said the Information Consultation Directive would force employers to
improve the engagement with staff.
By Ross wigham
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