Management Dissatisfaction Greater Among Long Tenure Workers

In its press release, Mercer said that only 53% of employees with 15 or more years of service agreed that employees in their organization are treated with dignity and respect regardless of position and background. However, 75% of workers hired within the past two years agreed with the statement.

While 66% of the new hires surveyed believed that managers in their organization were concerned for the well-being of employees, only 49% of tenured workers felt so.

Rod Fralicx, PhD, a principal for Mercer, said in the release that, in the past, satisfaction levels of employees would drop until around 10 or 12 years of service then pick up again to the same level of satisfaction as new hires. He said companies should be concerned about these recent findings because “Companies need the long-tenured employees to be ambassadors to the rest of the population. They need them to stay productive, engaged, and committed to the organization.”

Other troubling findings of the survey, according to Mercer, include:

• Only 44% of the longer-term workers agreed that “My manager does a good job of setting work objectives,” compared to 63% of newer workers.
• Fifty-eight percent of the longer-term workers agreed that their manager “encourages open and honest two-way communication,” while 79% of newer workers agreed.
• Fewer than six in 10 (58%) of the longer-term workers agreed that their manager “encourages open and honest two-way communication.” However, 79% of the newer workers agreed with the statement.
• When asked if their managers support flexible work arrangements, 35% of veteran workers said yes, compared to 57% of newer employees.

Mercer Human Resource Consulting provides global HR and related financial advice, products, and services. Its Web site is www.mercerhr.com .