Avoiding poor leadership in next job top concern for one-half of employees: Survey

Only 7 per cent looking to shun weak compensation

More than one-half (51 per cent) of employees wish to steer clear of incompetent leaders when they are seeking a new job opportunity, found a new survey by Right Management.

Nearly one-quarter (22 per cent) want to avoid a rigid work environment, while 16 per cent wish to avoid greater work stress, found the survey of 559 workers in Canada and the United States.

Only seven per cent indicated they would most want to shun poor compensation.

“According to these results, incompetent leadership seems to be a hot button for many employees,” said Michael Haid, senior vice-president of Talent Management for Right Management. “We anticipated people would want to shun workplace stress or perhaps low comp. We also know that many people disengage when professional growth and opportunities decline, but with this research we have a chorus who view leadership incompetence as the primary thing to avoid in employment situations in the future.”

This raises several questions: Are respondents basing their answer on actual experience of incompetence, or just an abstraction? How would respondents define incompetence? Which parts of that definition would prove to be most disagreeable for them? said Haid.

The findings, however, suggest that employees will put up with a difficult situation, including a bad work environment, if the leadership is effective.

“This is more evidence about the crucial role that must be played by leaders. People will forgive a lot if they perceive that they are being well led,” said Haid.

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