One in three workers uninspired by work

21/04/2008

Employees are feeling overworked and underpaid, it has been revealed, after a new report found almost one in three workers feel de-motivated.

The research, by YouGov on behalf of Investors in People, suggested more than one in four workers are considering leaving their job in the next 12 months.

Nearly 20% of workers said their main de-motivating factor is an unreasonable workload, with one in five saying they feel underpaid, and just over 15% adding that a lack of clear career path meant they were no longer inspired by their jobs.

Almost half of employees said their company had failed to continue supporting their career development beyond their initial induction period, and over a quarter said they felt unsupported by their managers.

Public sector workers are most likely to have low morale, with over 40% saying they are not motivated, and 45% saying they are less motivated than they were a year ago. Almost half added that they are considering leaving their job.

Simon Jones, chief executive of Investors in People, said the research reveals a ‘worrying picture’, suggesting that valuable employees may be heading for the door.

“It’s also important to highlight that employees that have been with an organisation for just one to two years are most likely to want to leave, given nearly half claim their employers focus their efforts on the initial induction stage but then, as employees settle in, let employee development fall down the list of priorities,” he said.

He added that employees want better support from their managers alongside clear, effective feedback on their performance.

“Support is vital when it comes to mapping out career paths and identifying relevant training and development. Without it, employees are likely to drift and depart rather than stay engaged with their organisation’s objectives,” he said.