Employees Value Effective

Communication from their

Management

A new analysis from Mercer Human Resource Consulting

YAM 03/2004
 If an organization wants to
improve employee
commitment, satisfaction and
retention

it should take a long, hard look

at how it communicates with
its employees
 People at Work Survey

Through its most recent "People at Work

Survey", Mercer asked 2,600 US
workers to share their attitudes and
perceptions regarding their job,
organization, compensation, benefits,
work environment and the management
of their organization
 People at Work Survey

• Among employees who say their organization

does a good job of keeping workers informed
about matters that affect them, only 15 % say
they are seriously considering leaving and 6 %
say they are dissatisfied with their
organization.
• Among employees who say their organization
does not keep them informed, 41 % are
thinking about leaving and 42 % say they are
dissatisfied.
 People at Work Survey

• Among employees who say they have ready

access to the information they need to do their
job, 18 % are seriously thinking of leaving and
10 % say they are dissatisfied with their
organization.
• Among employees who say they do not have
ready access to such information, 48 % are
thinking of leaving and 49 % say they are
dissatisfied.
 People at Work Survey

• Among employees who say they are provided

with the help and information needed to
manage their career, 14 % are seriously
thinking about leaving and 6 % are dissatisfied
with their organization.
• Among employees who say they do not
receive such information and assistance, 48 %
are thinking about leaving and 50 % are
dissatisfied with their organization.
 People at Work Survey

These communication-related factors

are shown to have a strong
connection to employees' sense of
commitment to their organization.

…but what is about pay and

benefits??
 People at Work Survey

• Among employees who believe they are paid

fairly, given their performance and
contributions to the organization, 14 % are
seriously considering leaving and 7 % are
dissatisfied with their organization.
• However, among employees who believe they
are not paid fairly, 39 % are thinking of leaving
and 36 % are dissatisfied.
 People at Work Survey

“These findings go against the conventional

wisdom that pay and benefits are all that
matter to employees", said David Slavney, a
senior communication consultant with Mercer.

"Clearly, employees value effective

communication with their management. It
affects their overall commitment and
satisfaction, and is a factor in their
decisions to stay with or leave a
company."
 People at Work Survey

Mercer's analysis suggests that

employees want more than information
that helps them to do their jobs and
manage their careers;

they also want to know where their

organization is heading.
 People at Work Survey

• Among employees who say that senior management

communicates a clear vision of the future direction of
the organization, 7 % are dissatisfied with their
organization and 6 % say they do not feel a strong
sense of commitment.
• In contrast, among employees who say that senior
management does not communicate a clear vision of
the future direction of the organization, 39 % are
dissatisfied with their organization and 32 % say they
do not feel a strong sense of commitment.
 People at Work Survey

As we continue through some tough

economic times, companies are
looking for ways to keep employees
engaged and to boost productivity
and growth
What employers need to realize is that
theycommunication
Good have anotherispowerful tool and
cost effective at
their disposal
it makes a meaningful difference in how
employees think about their company and
Good Communication
their future with the organization
 Summary

• Employees value effective communication

with their management. It affects their
overall commitment and satisfaction
• Pay and benefits are not all that matter to
employees
• Employee also want to know where their
organization is heading
Think of Yourself!!!!
Now!!!
Do you communicate
with your employees
effectively?