A fifth of UK workers frustrated
A FIFTH OF UK WORKERS FRUSTRATED
One fifth of UK employees are frustrated in their jobs, new research from global management consultancy Hay Group reveals. The research identifies a series of management failures at the heart of workforce frustration – including ineffective structures and procedures, an inability to create productive working climates and poor handling of underperformance.
Frustrated employees may represent as much as 20% of the UK workforce, according to the study based on research from over one million employees. Hay Group found that companies’ rigid structures, processes and procedures are preventing employees from exercising initiative while creating obstacles to problem-solving.
Half of workers (50%) believe that they do not have the authority to make decisions crucial to their jobs. The same proportion did not feel encouraged to participate in decisions that directly affect their work. In addition, jobs are ill-designed to capitalise on the talents of UK workers. Over a third (35%) believe that their job does not make best use of their skills and abilities.
Ben Hubbard, regional director (EMEA) at Hay Group’s employee survey division, commented: “The frustrated employee phenomenon poses a major business risk and a significant missed opportunity.
“With fierce competition for the most talented employees, companies’ efforts to engage their people will be wasted if not backed by a supportive and enabling environment.
“Business leaders must ensure that induction, development programmes and support structures are all designed to maintain the right people in the right roles at the right time.”
The Hay Group study identifies work climate – i.e. an employee’s experience at work based on the way they are led and managed – as a root cause of workplace frustration. Findings show that some 56% of senior managers fail to generate a high-performance climate. The study of over 3,100 leaders across 12 industries reveals that according to their staff, close to half (41%) of mangers create de-motivating climates for employees, while a further 15% generate only a neutral environment.
Only 26% of leaders are able to create a high-performance climate, according to employees, and only an additional fifth (18%) manage to generate a moderately energising working atmosphere. Another factor driving employee frustration stems from leaders failing to address underperformance and reduce so-called ‘deadwood’ in their workforces.
Further evidence from Hay Group’s database demonstrates that less than half (48%) of organisations deal effectively with underperformance. The problem is most acute in the automotive industry, where only 44% of companies manage to deal with poor performance. Other sectors fare little better, with technology (46%), pharmaceutical (51%) and manufacturing (51%) showing similarly low results. Even in the best performing sector – utilities – less than two thirds (61%) of employees are confident of their company’s ability to effectively manage the ‘deadwood’ phenomenon.
Hubbard concluded: “Our research shows that the world’s most successful companies go the extra mile to identify, reward, engage and enable their best performers, while addressing ‘deadwood’. Those that fail to do so risk high-performing staff become frustrated, demotivated and potentially seeking pastures new.”
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Created on: 31-Jul-08 08:59
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