Study Looks at Why American Workers are So Disengaged

In the struggle to achieve employee engagement – that mystical state of being in which workers are not only happy with their jobs, but invested in helping the company succeed – many companies ponder what will make their employees happy. More pay? A better work environment? Flexible hours? Employee-of-the-month awards? A trial-and-error process to determine how to make employees happier hasn’t seemed to work so well for American companies.

A 2013 report by Gallup found that only 13 percent of workers feel engaged by their jobs, while 63 percent are “not engaged.” It doesn’t take a social scientist to understand that these people are contributing little to the long-term success of the company. They may even be “sleepwalking” their way through their jobs…doing enough to get by, but never taking the initiative to help the organization succeed. Fully 24 percent of workers are “actively disengaged” from their jobs. These are people who hate their positions are likely spending more effort on finding a new one than even the basics of their day-to-day duties. Needless to say, all this disengagement is costing companies money, stability and opportunities.

So what’s making employees so unhappy? A recent study by Answers.com (News - Alert), “The 2014 Answers American Employee Study Reveals the Real Drivers of Employee Satisfaction,” may have shed some light on the problem. It turns out that annoying coworkers are at the top of the list (with 55 percent reporting this as a problem) as is a lack of leadership at employees’ organizations. Nearly half of respondents to the Answers.com survey said their organization has not provided them with a clear long-term goal they should be working toward.

“Answers’ analytical engine has debunked previous beliefs that an employee’s pay or manager has the greatest impact on employee satisfaction,” wrote the report’s authors. “Leadership, which includes providing employees with a long-term vision to rally around, plays an equally heavy role. Leadership, compensation and relationship with a supervisor are the top three priority areas for improvement.”

The study also found that employees who received more extensive training in their jobs scored far higher on the satisfaction scale. Those who have received zero training scored 52 in satisfaction, according to Answers.com. In stark contrast, employees who received formal training reported a satisfaction score of 72, highlighting the difference an employer’s commitment can make to employee perception.

“Answers’ American Employee Study puts a spotlight on a very disturbing phenomenon: employers don’t understand their employees, and they’re not doing nearly enough to rectify the situation,” said Eric Feinberg, Senior Director of Products Strategy for Answers Cloud Services. “Improving employee satisfaction led to desirable employee behaviors, such as recommending the company to others, supporting its products and satisfying its customers,” he said.

In general, employees today need to feel that their employers are invested in them and believe in them. In return, employees will become invested in their employers. If employees are sleepwalking their way through jobs today, it’s likely because their employers are sleepwalking their way through managing them.