A new international survey of full and part-time staff from around the world has revealed that nearly two thirds of UK employees say they are allowed to act independently, but less than half feel they contribute to their companyís overall mission.
Conducted by NetReflector, a provider of employee satisfaction feedback solutions, the research revealed that 63 percent of UK employees felt they were granted independence in regard to important decisions, but only 41 percent strongly felt they contributed to the companyís mission. Furthermore, one in 10 UK respondents said they were somewhat unlikely or definitely unlikely to recommend their own company to a friend ñ the global figure is around eight percent.
ìThis survey shows some interesting results and has demonstrated that the link between autonomy and buying into the companyís mission is not strong,î comments Professor Merlin Stone, satisfaction measurement expert from Bristol Business School. ìMost people would love to have more independence at work, but the results suggest that by giving people too much freedom, they lose focus on where the company as a whole is headed. Information like this is invaluable to help employers get honest and unbiased views on what their employees think. By providing an anonymous forum for people to air their opinions regularly, businesses can really start to form an accurate representation of what makes employees tick, and more importantly, what keeps them satisfied at work.î
Nonetheless, just over half of UK employees (51.7%) have confidence in their companyís leadership. However, other countries like China (69.58%) and the U.S. (58.06%) were more confident about their managersí leadership abilities.
Employees also revealed how they felt their bosses could improve. For British workers, the number-one demand is to make better use of the skills people already have, followed by encouraging personal development and improving resolution of staff conflicts.
ìDue to new and expanding relationships in the workplace such as managing project, cross-departmental and cross-divisional teams, the demands on todayís managers are less about telling subordinates what to do and how to do it, and more focused on developing the skills and decision-making capabilities of those who report to them,î concludes Stone. ìTodayís ëbossí is often both a coach and a member of the work team.î
The poll was powered by GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) in April 2006. 9,351 full- and part-time workers were surveyed online in ten countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Russia, Turkey, the UK and the USA.
Majority of UK Workers Feel Empowered in their Job
But less than half think they make a real difference
