Whilst the economic predictions change almost daily we at least know that the current slow down in our economy will ease. Organisations must start to focus on engaging employees so the company can grow when the economy turns around.
In the aftermath of large scale redundancies those in the workforce are experiencing what has been coined as ‘survivors guilt.’ This guilt has a negative impact on employee morale, their satisfaction and motivation. All key factors impacting on productivity.
Another interesting research finding from a survey of over 3,000 workers from the CIPD, is that 1 in 5 employees are ‘so unhappy as a result of how redundancies are being handled that they are looking to change jobs as soon as the labour market improves.’ This suggests that the current situation could therefore also be impacting on organisational commitment.
Managers are likely to be under significant pressure to deliver business objectives however studies emerging are highlighting these facts cannot be ignored. Organisations need to act fast to ensure employee engagement and motivation are addressed so during economic recovery they have the employees committed to the growth of the organisation.
So what can organisations do?
- Look at ways to develop and grow the talent within the organisation - identify personal development needs and put in place measures to assist
- Ensure a positive work/life balance culture persists – ‘the survivors’ are likely to feel pressure to prove their job is still needed and/or have increasing amount of work with less staff to do it. Introduce measure to promote the balance between work and life outside work.
- Added value work – ensure employees are aware of how their work contributes to the organisational objectives
- Communication – ensure timely and relevant updates on organisational priorities, changes etc. are provided to all employees