Survey Reveals Americans Don’t Feel Valued in the Workplace – and Employers are Overlooking Simple Solutions

Cornerstone OnDemand Employee Attitude Survey highlights risks organizations face in losing employees as economy improves and reveals how simple gestures can improve morale and retention

Santa Monica, Calif., April 29, 2010 – Escalating demands of the American workplace – from staff cuts and tighter budgets to increasingly difficult workloads – have created an environment where employees don’t feel they are valued appropriately by executives and superiors. However, a new survey of 584 working Americans conducted by Kelton Research and sponsored by learning and talent management solutions provider Cornerstone OnDemand reveals that employers are overlooking simple solutions to improve employee morale and loyalty – and reduce the risk of losing employees as the economy improves.

Nearly three in five (56 percent) 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 percent).

Additionally, more working women than men (62 percent vs. 50 percent) feel that, aside from money and benefits, being appreciated would make them stay put. Yet, 54 percent of working Americans say that their colleagues appreciate them more than their supervisors or company executives.

While the economy may have made it difficult for employers to reward their workers with raises and additional benefits, they need to embrace other ways of showing appreciation.

“American workers simply want to be empowered to do a good job and be recognized for their contributions,” said Adam Miller, president and CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand. “If companies don’t clearly communicate how employees can contribute to organizational goals and provide adequate training and performance feedback, they risk losing their best people as the economy improves. This kind of turnover is costly and can dull a company’s competitive edge.”

Eye on the Future

Companies seeking to avoid excessive turnover as the economy recovers need to close the communication gap and empower employees to perform well in their roles. The survey found that in the last six months:

• Over two in three (68 percent) employed Americans gripe they haven’t received useful feedback from their supervisors

• Over four in five (82 percent) employed Americans have not established their career goals with their superiors
  

• More than half (53 percent) of working Americans haven’t felt they have a clear understanding of how their role contributes to company objectives
  

• One in four (25 percent) Americans with jobs have been given new duties or responsibilities at work that are outside of their skill set

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About Cornerstone

Cornerstone is a premier people development company. We believe people can achieve anything when they have the right development and growth opportunities. We offer organizations the technology, content, expertise and specialized focus to help them realize the potential of their people. Featuring comprehensive recruiting, personalized learning, modern training content, development-driven performance management and holistic employee data management and insights, Cornerstone’s people development solutions are used by approximately 7,000 clients of all sizes, spanning more than 75 million users across over 180 countries and 50+ languages. Learn more at www.cornerstoneondemand.com.