The Mercer Salary Indicator prediction that pay rises will make a comeback in 2010 will be welcome news to most workers.
But perhaps the more significant finding is that more than half of organisations plan a greater focus on employee engagement (‘Blue-chip companies seek non-cash rewards’, Personneltoday.com. 5 November).
This can only be good news for individual employees and the performance of their organisations. According to Gallup, businesses in the top quartile for employee engagement had 18% higher productivity and 12% higher profitability than the average firm. This finding is strongly supported by the many businesses of different sizes and sectors that we spoke to before writing the report to government, Engaging for Success.
Those employers which appreciate the efforts of their staff, listen to their views and communicate a clear way forward for every person in the business invariably have a more productive workforce, whereas management teams that rely on pay rises alone, rather than strong leadership, to motivate their workforce, will not seize the opportunities the upturn will bring. There are some things which money can’t buy.
David MacLeod, report co-author, Engaging for Success
