Cornerstone OnDemand “Employee Attitude” Survey

In the past year, unemployment has risen dramatically and the American workplace has changed in numerous ways.  Staff cuts and tighter budgets have made some of those fortunate enough to keep their jobs juggle a heavier workload and added duties.  And with companies across the country continuing to struggle, loyal employees need to be properly acknowledged now more than ever.
 

A new survey by Cornerstone OnDemand finds that most employees don’t feel they’re very valued, which might make them walk when given the opportunity.  And they don’t demand much – just a clearer sense of their career path and proper training for new tasks they’re taking on.

FEELING UNDERVALUED

Over one in two (54%) working Americans feel their colleagues appreciate them more than their supervisors or their company’s executives do.

SHOW THEM THE LOVE

Employers need to understand that loyalty goes both ways.  Nearly three in five (56%) employed Americans say that aside from compensation and benefits, being appreciated would motivate them to stay in their current position – even more so than an opportunity to advance their career (46%)!

SIMPLE SIGNS

Giving thanks for sticking through tough times can be done through a variety of simple gestures that will be truly valued. About one in three Americans say that if cutbacks were on the horizon, they would like tokens of appreciation such as proper training for new duties (33%), a promotion or new title (33%) or a supervisor thanking them for staying (32%).

For others, all it takes is a candid conversation. Over one in four (26%) Americans would like feedback as a token of their boss’s appreciation for staying on despite cutbacks, and another 25 percent would be happy to chat about their career goals with a superior in this situation.

COMMUNICATION GAP

Aside from showing appreciation, internal communication allows employees and employers to share needs, victories and struggles.  This is key to both employee and organizational growth, yet millions of working Americans haven’t had this kind of forum for months.

Not Checking In.  Over two in three (68%) employed Americans gripe they haven’t received useful feedback from their supervisors in the last six months.

-- More than seven in ten (71%) employed Americans ages 35 and over haven’t gotten any reactions from their supervisors in the last six months – 62 percent of their 18-34-year-old counterparts report the same thing.

Eye on the Future.  What’s more, over four in five (82%) have not established their career goals with their superiors over the past half-year.

Where Do I Fit In?  It’s hard to know where you want to go in a company when you don’t have a good picture of where you stand. Over one in two (53%) working Americans haven’t felt they have a clear understanding of how their role contributes to the company’s objectives in the preceding six months.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

The Cornerstone Employee Attitude Survey was conducted by Kelton Research between March 17 and March 24, 2010 using an email invitation and an online survey.  Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population ages 18 and over.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation.  The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.

In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.