A Brighter Way
A Brighter Way
What are you telling your employees about the impact the economy is having on your business?
A recent survey of American employees indicates workers want upper management to tell them how the current economic conditions are affecting their business and their industry.
In a Weber Shandwick survey of 514 employed Americans, some 54 percent said their company leaders have remained silent on the financial turmoil, but nearly three quarters of their colleagues are talking about this topic.
"Individual companies who have the respect and trust of their employees have a great opportunity to communicate factual information to their workers," says Lee Beall, CEO, Rea & Associates. "By taking the lead and being proactive in communicating with employees, executives can set goals based on factual data, helping to set realistic expectations for their workers and perhaps alleviate fears that are generated through the rumor mill."
"With or without communication from the top, workers will talk among themselves, and the rumors generated can be much worse than reality," says Beall. Some 70 percent of the workers surveyed expected current economic conditions to have a negative impact on the companies they worked for, while 62 percent said their companies were having problems meeting goals.
And wouldn't you rather send a uniform message and reduce speculation and gossip?
This article was originally published in Facing Today's Economic Challenges Head-On: A Special Report by Rea & Associates, Inc.
Note: This content is accurate as of the published date above and is subject to change. Please seek professional advice before acting on any matter contained in this article.
