Providing good service also important: Survey
Despite tough economic times, employees are feeling relatively positive and hopeful about certain factors at work, according to a survey by Mercer and SMITH magazine, an online magazine devoted to storytelling.
“We tend to get caught up in the numbers of business and forget that work is a uniquely human exercise,” said Larry Smith, founder of SMITH. “Despite recent economic stressors, the essential point of view remains unchanged: People want to derive satisfaction and meaning from what they do.”
While employees in the United States voiced concerns and frustrations, they also confirmed certain factors contribute significantly to their motivation and engagement at work, including:
•being treated with respect (82 per cent cited this factor as being very important to motivation and engagement)
•the quality of leadership in the organization (75 per cent)
•being able to provide good service to others (75 per cent)
•the quality of the people they work with (74 per cent).
“Many of the contest entries had almost a reflective or aspirational tone,” said Michael Burniston, leader of Mercer’s human capital consulting business for the U.S. and Canada. “People seemed to be saying that, ‘I know work can be a positive experience, even if it’s not great for me right now — and I want that.’ When work is structured right and managed right, and people feel they are treated fairly, they view it in very favourable terms.”
The "Six Words About Work" contest, conducted in the U.S., United Kingdom and Canada, received more than 7,000 entries.
