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Posted on Wed, 02/1/2012 - 07:30 PM by
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How do your employees feel about their jobs? For a small business owner, the answer to this question is crucial. Employees who are happy at work and passionately engaged with their jobs are more loyal to their employers, more productive and just plain better for your business.
A recent study of employee job satisfaction and engagement has some useful insights for entrepreneurs. The Society for Human Resource Management’s 2011 Job Satisfaction and Engagement Research Report, which surveyed companies of all sizes in late 2011, found that while more than 75 percent of U.S. employees are satisfied with their jobs overall, there are some key areas of dissatisfaction. Paying attention to these areas could mean the difference between keeping and losing valuable workers. A whopping 83 percent of U.S. employees said that overall, they are satisfied with their current jobs. SHRM vice president for research Mark Schmit notes that in general, this percentage hasn’t changed significantly in the last 10 years. Schmit says: “In general, people find ways to be satisfied at work.” But while you might think that in a tough job market, people would feel that just having a job at all is reason to be satisfied, in reality the percentage of satisfied employees has decreased slightly since 2009. One key area where employees are less than satisfied is career development. Only about 40 percent of respondents say they are satisfied with the career development and advancement opportunities at their current jobs. For the first time, the survey also looked at employee engagement. Engagement differs from satisfaction. While satisfaction depends primarily on job security, engagement measures how committed employees are to the workplace and how connected they feel. When it comes to engagement, there’s room for improvement. Just 52 percent of employees feel completely engaged at work; only 53 percent say they enjoy going above and beyond what their jobs require. While these aren’t horrible numbers, I’m sure you agree that having all of your employees fully engaged in their work is the ideal state. So how can you improve things? Schmit theorizes the disengagement is because employees feel they aren’t being groomed for the future: “Employees seem to be saying, “I’m not getting training or opportunities for development, so why would I volunteer to do extra things to advance my career by helping out the organization?” Small business owners often worry that the only thing their employees care about is raises and other financial rewards—which are tough for a small business to offer in this economy. The good news from the SHRM findings is that training and advancement opportunities are easier to offer. True, you may not have immediate advancement opportunities for employees. But you can offer training. Here are some ideas:
Are you worried that you’ll institute training efforts, only to see those employees leave for greener pastures? Dissatisfied employees will leave when the job market improves—whether you’ve trained them or not. Then you’ll have to train their replacements. Isn’t it better to invest the time and effort in the employees you have now and keep them on your team? Engage with your employees, and their engagement will increase, too. Employee Training Photo via Shutterstock ? MORE NEWS FROM SMALL BUSINESS TRENDSG8 Leaders Call for Growth: Six Things You Can DoLeaders the world over including those at this week’s G8 Summit are calling for economic growth, not just budget tightening, in an effort to combat world market instability and speed recovery. But for all the talk in policy circles, this growth will ultimately come from the private sector and especially here in the U.S., from small to medium sized businesses that create many of the jobs and employ many of the workers already in our economy. Here’s a look at the economic growth G8 leaders are calling for and six things you can do to promote growth in your business today. Can a Gas Tax Fuel Clean Energy Innovation?With gas prices already reaching nearing $4 per gallon in many places, most business owners don’t relish the idea of them rising even further. Yet, some people are still calling for the government to deliberately increase them – by raising the gas tax. What Job Are You Helping Your Customers Do?Marketing is often described in terms of a product life cycle. The development, the launch, continued support, and finally, discontinuation all have specific marketing efforts associated with them. From social contests to reduced prices and giveaways, the emphasis is nearly always on the product or service provided. However, this does not take into account the way that customers actually search for and find products. Small Business Loans and Small Loans to BusinessA few weeks ago, I wrote about the decline in “small loans to business” during the Great Recession and economic recovery that followed. Now I am back to tell you that data on “small business loans” paints an even worse picture of the small business credit markets. As U.S. Small Biz Week Arrives, Are You Stressed or Optimistic?With the arrival of National Small Business Week here in the U.S., a variety of events, beginning yesterday, have been scheduled in Washington D.C. and across the country to recognize the importance of small business to the U.S. economy and to address topics important to small business owners. Just in time, a semi-annual study of American small businesses shows those business owners to be stressed but optimistic. Check out the schedule of national events and hear what leaders and small business owners are saying about issues most important to small business today. RELATED SMALL BUSINESS NEWSSBA Seeks to Boost Small-Dollar Loans With New Push (Video)The SBA is looking to increase the number of smaller loans in underserved communities with a new push. ... You’re the Boss Blog: A Start-Up Wants to Help You Cut Through the Clutter and Noise OnlineOne concern: the pitch could have done a better job of discussing the potential for competition. ... First State Bank Of Nebraska Recognized As Community Lender For 2012The First State Bank of Nebraska has been recognized as the Rural/Community Lender of the year 2012. SBA has recognized the bank for its efforts in Nebraska. State Bank Nebraska has served the community in a number of ways. Want the Right Stuff? Start With Your Help-Wanted AdA top-performing team starts with writing a thorough and accurate job description. Consider these five tips. ... Business Owners Take SBA Chief to TaskAt a town hall at National Small Business Week, some entrepreneurs complain to Karen Mills about access to credit and high health insurance costs. ... |
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