Employers think employees are more engaged with their organisation than before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a recent survey undertaken by Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing.
The research found more than 52 per cent of employers questioned believed that employee engagement within their organisation had either improved slightly – 36 per cent – or significantly – 16 per cent – through the pandemic.
Just 29 per cent of employers thought engagement had worsened during the same period.
Howden points out that those employers that have been able to protect jobs and/or maintain salary levels throughout the crisis are likely to be seen in a far more positive light by their employees. And the survey also revealed that almost half of all employers questioned (47%) had seen no evidence of increased financial worries amongst their workforce since the beginning of the pandemic.
The poll was conducted at The Howden Employment Webinar on 10th December 2020 amongst an audience of nearly 200 senior HR and finance professionals from a variety of private, public and third sector organisations.
Howden head of benefits strategy Steve Herbert says: “Employee Engagement is often a very difficult area to measure accurately, yet is a pivotal factor in maintaining and indeed improving output and productivity for employers in all sectors. So it is particularly pleasing that engagement levels appear to have improved over the last few months, and that can only be a positive for UK employers as they face the dual challenges and uncertainties of a continuing pandemic and a new trading relationship with the European Union.
“The truth is that the pandemic has been a story of financial winners and losers. Many employees have effectively become enforced savers during the months of lockdown and are now significantly better-off than before the crisis.
“Yet the flip-side of that issue is that there are now millions of employees who have been existing on reduced salary for the best part of a year, and many more whose wider household income has dropped owing to a reduced income from a partner or family member. Employers are sometimes unaware of such concerns, yet financial stress is potentially damaging to health and wellbeing, relationships, both in and outside of work, and can also impact worker productivity too.
“It is really great news that employee engagement levels are remaining resilient during this unprecedented crisis, but employers need to stay alert to signs of financial stress amongst their workers. So we would strongly encourage many more organisations to both regularly measure their employee engagement levels and promote financial wellbeing and employee benefits offerings to provide practical support as and when required.”
The post Employees now more engaged, not less say employers – Howden research appeared first on Corporate Adviser.
