Does Employee Engagement Come Down to Social Responsibility?
July 27, 2009 by REALeadership Alliance Blog Editor
There is a crisis in the workplace today—employee disengagement. In fact, Disengagement has reached what many would call a crisis level encompassing over 70% of the workforce and over 50% of management (Towers-Perrin Global Workforce Study). Disengagement manifests itself in a lack of commitment to an organization’s goals, absenteeism, low performance, cynicism, low trust and chronic complaints of being overstressed.
The High Cost of Employee Disengagement reports that “actively disengaged” workers are costing US businesses $300 billion a year in productivity losses. $300 billion!
Measurable costs such as product failures, customer service failures, and absenteeism are huge, but immeasurable opportunity cost associated with lack of innovation and execution are likely even larger and are manifested in loss of market share, margin, growth and even survival.
So what’s the answer? It might surprise you.
According to Will Marré, acclaimed expert, in The Future of Work: Engaging Employees to Drive Innovation asserts that disengagement stems from employees not having their needs met at work. Marré refers to research that indicates that employees today long for three things: 1) meaningful work that contributes to a better society and healthier environment, 2) flexible working arrangements, and 3) personal growth. The article states, “What 21st century employees want is to be engaged in meaningful work that benefits society. This is the biggest driver of engagement.”
Tony Robbins agrees that a sense of fulfillment is important for our happiness and wellbeing. In the TED video, Tony Robbins Asks Why We Do What We Do, he states, “When it comes to fulfillment, that’s an art. And the reason is, it’s about appreciation and it’s about contribution.” He further discusses the importance of our need to make a greater contribution. Of six basic human needs, according to Robbins, our sixth need is to contribute beyond ourselves. He states, “We all know, corny as it sounds, the secret to living is giving. We all know life’s not about me, it’s about we.”
Social Responsibility Boosts Employee Engagement also agrees that a company’s social responsibility can lead to more engaged employees. The article quotes Douglas Klein, President of Sirota Survey Intelligence who states, “”Businesses that recognize the importance of social responsibility often have employees who tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, adopt similar values, and become more committed to achieving success within the industry.”
Furthermore, Corporate Social Responsibility Pays Off reports that 70 percent of North American students surveyed in the 2003 CSR Monitor by Globescan said they would not apply for a job at a company deemed socially irresponsible. What’s more, the survey found that 68 percent disagree that salary was more important than social responsibility. The article also states, “Instead of just cutting a check to a foundation, companies find that the connection between CSR and employee engagement is deeper if employees are directly involved.”
The bottom line is we want to have meaningful work that makes a greater contribution to humanity and the environment. It’s not just about a paycheck anymore. It’s about a sense of fulfillment and a purpose beyond our own. We want to make a difference.
Commitment and loyalty are things of the past.
We are inevitably facing the quest for urgent solutions to deal with turbulent changes in the new age of US social structure in term of commitment, moral and loyal issues at the massive scale.
We were taught to have a gratitude toward farmers for their hard works every time we sit down to eat, to bless the soldiers who guard our borders at the cost of their own lives, to be the best employee toward the employers who give us the chance to succeed professionally and financially for ourselves and family, and to become a well-grounded decent person for society. Well we used to think “Excellent workers make the great companies and vice versus”. We are the wealth of our nation, aren’t we? We are happy, our families should be happy and so the nation. Nevertheless this is 21st century we are still talking about “Social Responsibility” between Employers and Workers. Really! Why didn’t anyone enforce this issue long time ago, and why aren’t we experiencing about our ties at all? It’s very strange and so weird indeed to even mention about the bond between us. In fact, this economic down turn with unemployment rate and job insecurity, professionals are suffering in defeat, silently and desperately crying out for help and direction. Most of us are well educated, productive and loyal hardworking professionals, but instead of being thrown out literally without mercy on the street, just about losing years of all that expert knowledge. Do we know about Pink slip syndrome? Definitely we do. We only ask for an opportunity that we could feed ourselves, but we are no beggars for bail out. This is a wake-up call for us all. We demand nothing from now on ward because no one is looking after us and we have to survive on our own. Shame us all and mercy to no one.
This is a lesson we learn in the real life. We have been squeezed like a lemon to this point, and there is turning back. There are two way streets in any relation. Nothing will change unless corporate culture changes and so others; otherwise it is hopeless. Money,,, profit… is king …
It’s not just about a paycheck anymore. It’s about a sense of fulfillment and a purpose beyond our own. We want to make a difference.
Actually given that unemployment+underemployment is nearing 20%, I’d say it is not only about a paycheck to make ends meet but also a sense of long term ownership (via equity) and commitment. Maybe its just me, but I still sense a fair bit of anger and wanted retribution by more and more of the masses. It is telling that firearm sales amongst all socioeconomic groups have been rising since this recession started in December 2007. Employee engagement certainly appears to be a thing of past given that most growth over the last 10 years has been due to cost cutting and having the average person in America incur more debt. This is a recipe for further economic disaster. We know from there have been no meaningful steps taken by our leaders in order to discourage, curb or end the behaviors which led to this morass. It is because most of them profit while the vast majority of citizens simply stagnate or sink deeper into debt. Companies in this day and age simply cannot be trusted. Government cannot be trusted. So what are we left with ? In my opinion, we will not begin rebuilding until we all collapse together. The trust cannot begin until the distrust is fully rooted out of the existing system.
Will, couldn’t agree more. Cone and UCLA have some great research on this well. Thanks for exposing me to these additional studies.
As are basic needs (shelter, food, health–even disposable income) are met, we’re awakening to the idea that we can get more from work than just subsistence. As the lines between work and ‘live’ blur, we’re demanding happiness in both realms.
Thanks for pointing to a very salient solution.
Oilvia Kuhn-Lloyd
CauseCapitalism.com