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Caught in the Middle
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. middle managers say the economy is having a negative impact on their work environments. That's according to a recent survey of 322 middle managers by Accenture, a global management, technology and outsourcing consultancy, which found that 61 percent said that employees are concerned about losing their jobs or that morale is down. What's more, more than half (53 percent) said they, themselves, are dissatisfied or only somewhat satisfied with their jobs. "In an uncertain economic environment, employers will need to take extra care in keeping employees engaged and ensuring that they maintain their job performance," says David Smith, managing director of Accenture's New York-based Talent & Organization Performance practice in North America. "Sound talent-management strategies are now more important than ever." In the 2008 Middle Managers Survey, responses show job dissatisfaction stemming primarily from insufficient pay or benefits and the lack of prospects for advancement. Similarly, insufficient compensation tops the list of the most frustrating aspects of the job. The survey also finds more than one-third of middle managers are frustrated by their increasing workload, particularly middle managers in larger companies. Despite the dissatisfaction, only 13 percent of those surveyed said they are actively looking for a new job. Two-thirds (66 percent) said they would consider a new job but are not actively looking; however, nearly half (46 percent) said they are taking steps to improve the security of their jobs, such as working harder or longer hours. "Clearly, job security is of paramount importance to employees right now," says Smith. "Nevertheless, employers must continue to find ways to improve the work experience for their employees or they may be faced with an unwelcome rise in employee departures when the economy improves." Ed Jensen, a senior executive in Accenture's Talent & Organization Performance practice, says it's important to keep in mind that, in companies experiencing more extreme hardships -- such as in the financial and automotive sectors -- a willingness on the part of middle managers to move to a more viable industry isn't necessarily a black mark against the company's management practices. "I would even consider that a good career move," he says. "I would think those types of managers, who aren't necessarily dissatisfied with their companies' policies and practices, wouldn't be as likely to leave once the economy turns around." If they're still there, that is. "This is what makes talent-management strategy so critical," Jensen says. Even in times as tough as these, "the stronger companies are doing everything possible to make sure they know who their high-performing middle managers [are] and are offering them growth opportunities and making sure they're compensated enough" to head off problems with lack of engagement or retention. Jensen also says the number of workers worried about losing their jobs right now "is way too high, based on the current reality of the economic situation." "It's a clear sign that employers are not doing a good enough job communicating where they stand, what they're planning to do in light of the downturn and what employees should be doing so they can all collectively get through it," he says. Bottom line, says Jensen, "if 61 percent of employees are worried about losing their jobs, then clearly employers aren't doing the best they can putting through a more realistic message. The nation is certainly not seeing 61 percent of workers being laid off right now. Companies should be articulating this¿that, despite the current challenges, they shouldn't assume they'll be losing their jobs." The survey also found that more than two-thirds (68 percent) of middle managers believe their companies could do more to help employees cope with the weak economy. Opportunities for telecommuting and four-day work weeks are the suggestions cited most often by respondents (26 percent and 24 percent, respectively). It appears some employers are making positive strides in responding to demands from employees for new ways of working. Nearly one-third (20 percent) of respondents said their employers have taken steps to help them cope with the weak economy through programs such as flexible scheduling, four-day work weeks, telecommuting and transportation subsidies. But helping workers cope in this economic environment goes much further than providing scheduling and even pay tweaks, says Ilene Gochman, who heads up the organization effectiveness practice for Washington-based Watson Wyatt Worldwide. Now is the time for HR executives to get personally involved in every aspect of performance management, "making sure the reviews are getting done, the goals are being articulated and met, training is being provided to deal with poor performers -- something you absolutely need to stay on top of, with possible reorganizing and downsizing in the picture -- and your engaged managers fully understand the messages they need to convey [on behalf of the company]," Gochman says. "Now is not the time for HR leaders to be sitting in their offices," she says. "They should be out there communicating and personally looking at all their HR programs and thinking about what can be done to build engagement. Make it personal at this time, not something online. "And be careful when you look at numbers of people unhappy about pay," Gochman says. "In our experience with Watson Wyatt's bi-annual worker-attitude surveys, people are never happy about pay. They all think they could and should be making more. "What we look for in our surveys is how pay is communicated; how benefits are communicated. That's what determines the difference between a good program becoming a great program and the same good program becoming not-so-well-perceived and received. It all comes down to how these things are being communicated. "At this time especially," she says, "make sure it's being very clearly communicated what they have and why, where they're headed and why, and where they fit in. This combats the rumor mill."
December 15, 2008 Copyright 2008© LRP Publications |
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