14 March 2007
Belief in managers boosts job satisfaction, says newspaper survey
The annual Sunday Times "Best 100 Companies To Work For" survey finds employee satisfaction's on the increase, thanks to a growing trust in managers.
This year's "Best 100 Companies To Work For" annual survey of UK employees by The Sunday Times and research firm Best Companies, has found trust in managers is growing.
Compared to a similar study in 2004, the survey found that the belief that senior managers are living the values of their organization has risen by 5.9%, and the number of workers who think their companies are run on sound moral principles has gone up by 4%.
Trust leads to engagement
This increasing level of trust in senior managers is leading to a rise in the percentage of employees who enjoy their job, which has risen from 47.1% in 2004 to 48.4% in 2007, the report says.
Highly engaged employees will always go the "extra mile", says Pete Bradon, head of research for Best Companies. "It's the responsibility of leaders not to take advantage of this engagement by asking them to go the extra two miles to the detriment of their well-being," he says.
Engagement key to success
Once again, the survey found Livingston-based outdoor-clothing makers, WL Gore & Associates, the best company in the UK to work for, making it the fourth time the firm has won the accolade.
The reason for WL Gore's success is an emphasis on workplace engagement, says Gore's manufacturing plant leader, John Housego. "We strongly believe it's a competitive advantage. Competitive advantage when used correctly not only creates income and profit, which we're great at doing, but also comes with a responsibility to society as a whole," he says.
"We're successful because of the ability of our associates to grow, explore and learn in an environment of freedom and trust," he concludes.
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