Low Engagement A Major Challenge

A poll of human resources managers at 368 Canadian companies found 69 percent consider low employee engagement a major issue in their organization. And 82 percent said their management should be doing more to address employee engagement.

A majority of the HR managers said executives are falling down in four areas. Seventy-one percent said managers should listen more to employees’ opinions; 68 percent said they fail to communicate clear expectations; 58 percent said they need to give more recognition and praise; and 57 percent said they need to provide more learning and development opportunities.

Some common complaints of corporate managers:

>> Weak reassurances on whether or not jobs are safe.

>> Loads of vague attempts to find synergies.

>> Little interest in learning what employees actually do.

>> Plays favorites, mostly people from his old department.

>> Nitpicks about things randomly, making people feel picked on.

>> Quick to download his work onto the department, with little interest on how it affects employees.

>> Important projects get left to be figured out by employees while the manager comes by once and a while with meaningless comments. Meanwhile, the important project drags on at a snail’s pace.

>> Very good at checking off timesheet boxes, but little or no vision.

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