Employee productivity and innovation, and the creation of satisfied, loyal customers all rely on one common element -- employee satisfaction.
To proactively and positively address employee satisfaction you must first know what is on your employees' minds and how they feel about the tools they have to do their jobs, the support they get from supervisors and peers, and how they view the quality of teamwork and communications in your organization.
* Do employees think their opinions are valued?
* How do they feel about the quality of the company's products and services?
* Are working conditions and HR programs supporting their needs and allowing them to perform at their best?
If you haven't asked employees what's on their minds lately, you won't have the answers to these questions, or at best can only guess as to whether improvements are needed. You are missing the opportunity to maximize profitability.
Studies have shown the link between employee satisfaction and profitability:
* Satisfied employees are more productive and create greater customer value
* Greater value produces higher customer satisfaction and loyalty
* More loyal customers mean more repeat business and referrals -- and greater profitability
If this is not reason enough to be in touch with your employees' thinking, some research firms are finding only 25 percent of workers today feel a strong attachment to their employers and some futurists' studies confirm that 30 to 40 percent of today's workers are ready to leave their companies when the market picks up. Do you know how your employees feel about your company?
Regards