Bulletin Board by Amy Winter

When the economy starts to turn around, many employees will be looking for the door at their current workplaces, hoping to find a job elsewhere. Workers seem to be dissatisfied with their current company's compensation, career development paths and retention attempts.

Only 25 percent of employees are not likely to be searching for another position in the current economy, according to a survey by Adecco Group North America and Harris Interactive, which questioned 1,117 workers.

Sixty-six percent of workers aren't pleased with their current payment, and 78 percent don't agree with their company's efforts to preserve their staff. And 76 percent of surveyors are disappointed with their office's future career opportunities.

Employees seem to have a dissatisfaction toward office relationships, company leadership and retirement benefits. Forty-eight percent of surveyors don't approve of their connections to management. Most employees (77 percent) are displeased with their company's vision and management. And 68 percent of workers aren't happy with their company's payment to their retirement plans.

"What workers are telling us is that even during a recession, just having a job does not equate to job satisfaction," says Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer at Adecco Group North America. "Employers need to be conscious of the concerns that their staff is managing through on a daily basis and proactively come up with the appropriate solutions to improve retention and reduce the current and future high cost of turnover."

Adecco provides tips to improve worker satisfaction:

— Present retention attempts. Build trust and be in open communication with employees.

— Reward staff. If a company is unable to increase salaries, think about providing other forms of recognition. Build up morale by pointing out good work. Help workers understand why payment has decreased and how this will aid the company in the future.

— Discuss career growth options.

This will help employees see that the management cares about their future; workers will most likely want to be more connected to the company.

For more information, visit www.adeccousa.com.

IMPORTANCE OF OFFICE COMMUNICATION

Managers and employees seem to disagree when it comes to the effectiveness of workplace communication. Managers see communication improving in the last year, but workers view it differently. Sixty-nine percent of executives say that discussions with employees has occurred more frequently in the last 12 months, but only 37 percent of employees agree, according to a survey by OfficeTeam — a staffing service that questioned 150 executives and 493 workers.

More than half of employees say that there has been no change in workplace contact and updates. Just 29 percent of managers say they haven't made any modifications to their office communication system.

Executives and workers also differ on whether the quality of office communication has improved. Fifty-six percent of managers think they have developed the importance of staying in touch with workers and 41 percent say no change has occurred. Only 38 percent of employees agree that workplace updates seem to be improving and 47 percent have failed to see an adjustment.

"During times of change, companies must be able to share information quickly and often," says Robert Hosking, OfficeTeam executive director. "The good news, in light of this difficult economy, is that most employers have increased staff outreach. What is less encouraging is that this communication may not be as effect as it could be."

As the economy heads toward a recovery, clear and well-timed communication is very important.

"Managers who provide regular updates and encourage open discussions help employees better understand the company's overall goals and their own role in helping to achieve these objectives," adds Hosking. "Frequent communication also can aid retention efforts, which will become a greater focus for employers as the job market improves."

For more information, visit www.officeteam.com.

To find out more about Amy Winter and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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