European employers have the least engaged workforces in the world by far, with a massive two thirds of staff saying they are less than fully committed to their current employer, according to a new study.
The figure contrasts with employees in both North America and Asia Pacific, of whom some 52% and 47% respectively claim that they are ‘totally committed’ to the organisations for which they work.
These are the findings a global survey among 134,000 people in 29 countries undertaken by recruitment consultancy Kelly Services. Although the study indicated that 20% of European personnel now feel more loyalty to their employer as a result of the recession, the figure again compared poorly with North America (35%) and Asia Pacific (30%).
As to what would make staff feel more engaged, some 42% of Europeans (compared with 33% of North Americans and 40% of people from Asia Pacific) cited ‘more interesting or challenging work’ rather than ‘higher salary or benefits’.
But there were also differences between the generations. For example Generation X (aged 30 -47) and Y (aged 18-29) workers were much more likely to switch jobs due to lack of career advancement opportunities than Baby Boomers (aged 48-65). The latter category were more likely to change employers due to poor management.
Corporate reputation was also a critical factor for Baby Boomers (47%) when choosing a job and whether to remain in it, but the issue figured less highly for other age groups (39% respectively). All agreed, however, that the most important contributor to corporate reputation was the quality of products and services offered, followed by a good management team.
George Corona, Kelly Services’ executive vice president and chief operating officer, said: “Attracting employees and keeping them productively engaged is constantly among the most challenging tasks for employers. The survey shows the complex array of issues that impact and motivate employees of different ages.”
As a result, it was important to devise a multi-generational strategy not only to attract the best talent, but also to foster a culture that encouraged creativity and learning for all, he added.
