The latest Employee Engagement Report by global consulting firm BlessingWhite

PRINCETON, N.J.- The latest Employee Engagement Report by global consulting firm BlessingWhite indicates that although 60% of employees may say they plan to stay with their organization through the year, less than one-quarter of them are fully engaged in their work. ìEngaged employees are not just sticking around.

Theyíre not just happy or proud. They are what we call ëenthused and in gear,í focusing their talents to make a difference in their employerís success,î explains Christopher Rice, BlessingWhiteís President and CEO. ìUnfortunately, we found that only 21% of our survey respondents had all the pieces of the engagement puzzle in place ñ attitude and effort, alignment with the organizationís priorities, and full application of their unique talents.î

ìIf theyíre not engaged, employees are likely to be spinning, settling, or splitting,î comments Rice. ìOur findings suggest that a lot of well-meaning, hard-working employees are spinning their wheels on work that may not matter much to their employers. Sooner or later, their attitude will take a nose-dive. Theyíre also at risk for burnout. Other employees may be settling, not dissatisfied enough to make a break, but clearly not committed or contributing as much as they could. And almost 10% of our survey respondents indicated clear plans to leave the company -- or ësplit.í They are not getting what they need in terms of fulfilling work, career and development opportunities, or a decent manager.î

According to the report, lack of alignment is a primary reason for so few employees being fully engaged. Only 20% of respondents indicated that they believe daily work priorities are linked to a clearly communicated strategy, a mere 2% increase over the findings of BlessingWhiteís 2004 Employee Engagement Report. This yearís report also highlights the importance of work. Rice observes, ìIf employeesí work ëworksí for them, they are less likely to focus on promotions, financial rewards, or even more desirable job conditions.î Another key finding: strong manager-employee partnerships lead to more engaged employees.

The 2005 Employee Engagement Report includes recommendations for driving organizational clarity, tapping into the self-interests and motivation of individual employees, and helping managers link business imperatives with employee needs. Rice also recommends, ìFocus on engagement and retention will follow naturally.î About BlessingWhite BlessingWhite is a global consulting firm dedicated to creating sustainable high-performance organizations. Based in Princeton, NJ, with locations in London, Chicago, San Francisco, and Sydney, the company has worked with almost three million professionals in 1,300 organizations since its founding in 1973.

BlessingWhiteís consulting services, tools, and training create high-performance cultures, develop leaders who get results and inspire, equip leaders to coach more strategically and efficiently, and align individual self-interest and talents at all levels of the organization with business-critical business goals.

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