Benefits January 9, 2008

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out What it Means to Workers

January 9, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Recent research from Mercer finds that, while factors contributing to employee engagement can vary between countries and between employers, the number one driver globally among workers surveyed was respect.
Reported by

Mercer asked employees which of 12 factors most influenced their engagement at work, according to a press release. Respect was identified as having the strongest impact on engagement globally, and was the top factor noted by employees in the U.K. and U.S. Type of work and work-life balance ranked second and third among workers globally.

Among U.S. workers, base pay ranked as the second most important driver of engagement, followed by benefits and type of work, which came in third. Following respect, type of work and providing good service to customers tied for the second most important driver of employee engagement for the U.K.

The complete list of factors in order of importance as ranked by U.S. workers is:

  • Respect,
  • Base Pay,
  • Type of work and Benefits,
  • Work-life balance,
  • Provide good service to customers,
  • People you work with,
  • Long-term career potential,
  • Flexible working,
  • Learning and development,
  • Promotion opportunities, and
  • Variable pay/bonus.

“The drivers of engagement vary from country to country and from company to company – even within companies, the drivers will vary across different businesses and functional areas,” said Dr. Patrick Gilbert, a principal and employee research expert at Mercer, in the press release. “That’s why it’s important for employers to identify and manage the unique drivers of engagement within their own organizations.

Mercer’s research is highlighted in the paper, “Engaging employees to drive global business success,” which can be viewed at www.mercer.com/whatsworking , along with 16 of its What’s Working country reports.

«