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Can We Talk? New Interact Survey Shows Lack of Communication Leaving America's Virtual Workers Feeling DisconnectedCHARLOTTE, N.C. --(Business Wire)-- While many corporations offer the flexibility of working virtually to employees, it is important to understand how to interact with them in order to keep these virtual workers happy and productive. This is of paramount importance according to newly released results of a survey conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Interact, a communications consultancy, which cites the importance of keeping communications strong, consistent and personal with virtual employees. According to the survey, over two-thirds (69%) of American employees who ever work virtually agree that management needs to communicate better in order to keep them engaged. "Unhappy employees who are disconnected from their managers and the company cannot take ownership of the mission, goals or big picture, which is the minimum requirement for the kind of engagement that impacts a company's bottom line," said Lou Solomon, CEO and Founder of Interact. "Today it is standard practice for corporations to have people scattered across the country and around the globe, but the success of any culture still rests on relationships and human engagement; or what we help corporate leaders to develop, "The Influence Factor™." The survey shows that even in the virtual age, cultivating personal connections and making face to face, in-person communication a priority in the corporate environment are essential. Sixty-one percent of American employees who ever work virtually think those working in the office/workplace feel more engaged with management than they do, and 50% report feeling disconnected from their colleagues as well. In fact, 53% of American employees who ever work virtually indicate they have to work twice as hard as those in the office/workplace to make connections within their organization. Perhaps most alarmingly, 55% of American employees who ever work virtually say their boss communicates with them almost exclusively by email. In order to keep their team members engaged and ensure productivity and growth, executives must be intentional and strategic about building a sense of connectedness with virtual workers. Leaders with "The Influence Factor™" find ways to stay close to employees, no matter how spread out, or what size, the organization is that they lead, including:
To learn more visit www.interactauthentically.com or @InteractStudio on Twitter; and follow Lou Solomon on Twitter @LMSolomon. Survey Methodology: This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Interact from October 9-13, 2014 among 2,026 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Erin Vadala, Warner Communications at [email protected].
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