Managers Not Held Responsible for Engagement

PHILADELPHIA, PA – May 20, 2010 – Although managers influence the job commitment and satisfaction of employees, as many as one-in-three are not held accountable for engagement levels in their organization, according to research from Right Management. Right Management is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services.

 

The firm analyzed responses from 357 senior HR professionals in an HR.com online poll conducted in May 2010 and asked “Does your organization hold leaders accountable for employee engagement?” The results were:

 

§ 18% - Yes, consistently

§ 46% - Yes, sometimes but not formally

§ 33% - No, we do not track

§   3% - I don’t know

 

“If leaders are not held accountable for employee motivation or commitment then employees are lacking in direction and may be left to flounder,” said Michael Haid, Senior Vice President of Global Solutions at Right Management. “We know from our research that effective leadership affects the business metrics tied to organization performance.”

 

According to Haid, leaders need to be accountable for employee engagement. “The behaviors that most influence engagement – such as showing they value employees – need to be linked to performance expectations. It then becomes a mechanism for accountability.”

 

“For 46% of organizations tracking the link between managers and engaged employees it is done just occasionally or informally,” said Haid. “But in my experience most companies don’t know how to identify the behaviors that most foster strong engagement, let alone be able to track their efficacy.”

 

Tracking employee engagement is a complex challenge, conceded Haid. “It is different for each industry and country…and even each organization. The behaviors that might foster positive engagement in one firm, may rank a lot lower in another. And this varies by culture as well as by level of leadership.”

 

In an environment where new challenges are confronting leaders at a quickening pace, no organization can afford to overlook leader development, noted Haid. “Bottom-line business results depend on bringing leaders to the top of their potential with maximum efficiency. These are the key players who can directly impact the engagement and productivity of a workforce, as well as morale and retention rates… all leading to overall better business performance.”

 

 

Right Management (www.right.com) is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services. Right Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Our expertise spans Talent Assessment, Leader Development, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and Workforce Transition and Outplacement. With offices in over 50 countries, Right Management partners with companies of all sizes. More than 80% of Fortune 500 companies are currently working with us to help them grow talent, reduce costs and accelerate performance.