The Conversation Gap: Poor Conversations = Disengaged, Dissatisfied Staff

The success of a business can be predicted by studying the conversations people have at work, according to new research by global human resources experts Career Innovation (Ci). Jonathan Winter, Ci director, explains: ìYou can tell a thriving business by the tense of the conversations taking place ñ companies whose conversations focus on the future will be the more successful.î



Ci found that employees who have conversations with their managers about issues relating to their futures, are more engaged and perform better at work. In particular workers want to discuss topics such as career development, the future direction of the company and job security, as well as non-work issues like family and work-life balance.

However, management conversations tend to be too backward looking ñ Ci calls this problem The Conversation Gap and says it is causing a widespread lack of engagement amongst workforces, with the brightest employees more likely to quit their jobs.

According to Ciís research, The Conversation Gap means:
ï Two out of five workers canít to talk to managers about important future issues1
ï Employees are so disengaged, they are three times more likely to be planning to leave their jobs in the next 12 months2
ï Employees canít talk to their managers about key issues due to a lack of trust3

The Conversation Gap emerged from work undertaken by Ci with some of the worldís leading blue chip businesses to map the conversations that take place between workers and their colleagues, friends, families and, crucially, their managers.

Winter continues: ìWe all know personally how important our conversations are at work, those ëwater-cooler momentsí when we feel comfortable enough to talk about everything, from our jobs to our lives outside. Our research has shown that this is vital to the success of a business.

ìBut when there is a Conversation Gap, workers are anxious about tackling important issues that are not directly linked to the job they are doing at the moment. They donít feel able to talk to their managers about job security during a re-organisation, their career development within the company, or the impact work pressure is having on their personal life. This can result in employees becoming disengaged and dissatisfied with their jobs and the companies they work for ñ and might consider leaving.î

Ci says that although top companies have become skilled at communicating with employees about their current performance and competencies, many workers feel employers fall down when it comes to discussing their future development4. As a result workers are frustrated, become disengaged with their jobs and suffer a loss of satisfaction5. Lack of time is cited as a major reason why employees feel they cannot talk to managers, but the most worrying finding is the lack of trust3 in management by many employees.

Winter continues: ìThe Conversation Gap research is the first time the conversations that drive a successful organisation have been identified and measured. We have discovered that it is not just about the number of conversations that take place, but also the quality of those conversations and the trust workers have in their managers to talk about all the issues that are important to them. In the most successful companies, The Conversation Gap is less.î

Now the companies that worked with Ci to identify The Conversation Gap are using the research to re-think the way they manage and nurture their employees, encouraging managers to become more like coaches.

ìWeíre introducing new tools to support better conversations, and simple metrics that organisations can use to measure their progress in nurturing better conversations,î Winter says. ìThese days companies need to work as hard to improve trust and conversations as they do to improve their manufacturing process or their brand. Essentially, identifying the importance of quality conversations is like discovering the DNA of a successful business.î

Ci says that by closing the Conversation Gap companies can reassure their employees, who in turn will become more effective and engaged workers. Addressing the Conversation Gap has already boosted commitment levels within companies Ci works with, particularly amongst its high performing workers.

Winter explains: ìThis isnít a soft option for managers. Itís about building a partnership with whole people, recognising their work and personal goals, which in turn leads to better performance. People want meaning in their jobs, especially the high performers. They are not just motivated by money, they want to know where they are headed.î

Key findings from The Conversation Gap research

1) 40% of employees have a topic they want discuss with their manager, but feel they cannot ñ This is called The Conversation Gap

2) Employees who fall into the Conversation Gap are three times more likely to be planning to leave their jobs in the next 12 months. The survey found that:
ï 17% of employees who have issues they want to discuss plan to leave their jobs in the next 12 months
ï However, only 6% of employees who do not have issues they want to discuss plan to leave their jobs in the next 12 months

3) Reasons for lack of trust in managers:
ï Managerís lack of interest ñ 8%
ï Manager not the right person to talk to ñ 5%
ï Previous attempt to talk failed ñ 4%
ï Poor relationship with manager ñ 4%
ï Donít believe anything will be done ñ 4%

4) Key issues employees feel they cannot talk to their managers about:
ï Development for the future ñ 35%
ï Future career opportunities ñ 12%
ï Work-life balance/workload ñ 7%
ï Skills development for current job ñ 5%


5) Engagement and Satisfaction
ï Employees with issues they want to discuss are 20% less engaged with their jobs than their colleagues without issues to discuss
ï Employees with issues they want to discuss are 30% less satisfied with their development than their colleagues without issues to discuss

6) Percentage of employees surveyed who had significant and valuable conversations about a key work issues: Top three
ï Feedback on performance at work ñ 90%
ï Individual strength and weaknesses ñ 78%
ï Clarity about what is expected of them ñ 75%
Bottom three
ï Future career opportunities outside current employer ñ 40%
ï Skill development in current job ñ 60%
ï Future career opportunities within current employer ñ 60%

The Conversation Gap is based on research carried out amongst 790 employees by Career Innovation as part of its global Inspiring Performance programme. The Career Innovation Group (Ci), is an alliance of some of the worldís biggest firms, including BT, Boeing, GlaxoSmithKline, Marriott, Toyota, Unilever, Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer and UBS. For more information about the Conversation Gap, to order a report, download a copy of the mini-report or get a free Conversation Gap tool, visit www.thecgap.com