One-third of employees don’t know ‘what’s really going on’ at their firms: Survey

Lack of transparency can hurt engagement, productivity

More than one-third of employees (36 per cent) in the United States feel they hardly ever know what’s going on at their organization, according to a survey by AMA Enterprise.

“In order for employees to be engaged in their work and be productive it’s essential they have a sense of inclusion and a grasp of what’s going on,” said Sandi Edwards, senior vice-president at AMA Enterprise.

Slightly more than one-half (55 per cent) said they know what’s going on some of the time and only nine per cent said most of the time, found the survey of 300 managers and employees.

Any lack of transparency needs to be a core concern for senior management, said Edwards.

“Too often employees do not feel trusted or involved in decision making, or may not even know what the business strategy is. Many workers, according to the findings, feel excluded,” she said.

The survey also tracked the perspective of management to ascertain if they believe their messages are getting through. Fifty-eight per cent believe they know what is going on at least some of the time while 15 per cent said they hardly ever know what’s going on, found the survey.

“Everyone has a need to be included, to be part of the process, to feel secure, and to have a sense of their role in making their company successful,” said Edwards. “Organizations that fall short in terms of transparency will pay a price.”

Latest stories