Effective Employee Communications Fosters Corporate Reputation

Transcription

1 Press Contact: Corporate Communications The Harris Poll Effective Employee Communications Fosters Corporate Reputation New York, N.Y. As a whole, American workers rate their employers' reputations favorably, with over two-thirds of employed Americans rating their employer's reputation as good (67%). One-quarter feel their company has a neutral reputation (25%) and just 2% see their employers as having a bad reputation. More good news for U.S. employers comes in the form of seven in ten (69%) working Americans feeling the best years are ahead for their company. Not surprisingly, those who view their company as having a good reputation are more likely than those assigning a neutral reputation to believe the best years are ahead (76% vs. 54%, respectively). Newly released findings from a November Harris Poll that examines the relationship between employee communications and perceptions of their employer's reputation, shows that companies who truly connect with their workers may have found themselves a secret ingredient after all. The poll of 2,276 U.S. adults (of whom 1,117 were employed or selfemployed) was conducted online between November 12 and 17, The engagement effect Looking through the filter of employee engagement, we consistently find engaged employees more likely to both say their company has a good reputation and that their company's best years are yet to come. Effective Communication: Those who feel their company ly communicates information of value to employees are more than twice as likely as those who don't to rate their company's reputation as good (76% vs. 36%, respectively). Similarly, employees of communicators are more likely to believe the best years are ahead for their employer (75% vs. 47%, respectively). Familiarity with Goals and Objectives: Good reputation (71% among those who are familiar with the company's goals and objectives vs. 39% among those who aren't); Best years are yet to come (71% vs. 49%, respectively). Understanding Personal Contribution: Good reputation (70% among those who understand how their role contributes to the company vs. 44% of those who don't); Best years are yet to come (72% vs. 42%, respectively). Familiarity with Company Performance: Good reputation (72% among those who are familiar with their company's performance vs. 47% among those who aren't) and to believe its best years are ahead (73% vs. 52%, respectively). "The reputational impact of internal communications is clear," says Carol Gstalder, SVP, Reputation Management & Public Relations Practice for Harris Poll, "and the role of managers is vital." Employees look first to their manager to obtain the information they need to do their jobs. Effective managers share important company information in ways that resonate with their staffs, motivating them to achieve company goals. Today, only one-third (33%) of managers strongly agree they are a primary communicator to employees and 47% strongly agree they are well trained and prepared to communicate news and information to employees. Given the impact of employee communication on company reputation, ensuring managers are equipped with the skills needed to ly communicate is an essential ingredient in today's workplace.

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3 TABLE 1a OVERALL COMPANY REPUTATION By Manager Status, Effective Communication, Familiarity with Goals, Understands Role Contribution, and Familiarity with Company Performance "How would you rate the overall reputation of the company or organization you work for?" Manages People Company Communicates Effectively Familiar with Company's Goals/ Objectives Understands how role contributes Familiar with Company's Performance Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No % % % % % % % % % % % Good Reputation 7 Very good reputation Neutral Reputation * Bad * Reputation 2 2 * 2 * Very bad reputation * * 1 * 2 * 2 * 3 * 2 Not Sure TABLE 1b OVERALL COMPANY REPUTATION By Company Size and Years with Company

4 "How would you rate the overall reputation of the company or organization you work for?" Company Size Years with Company < ,000-9,999 10,000+ < % % % % % % % % % Good Reputation 7 Very good reputation Neutral Reputation Bad Reputation Very * * * * 1 * * 1 * bad reputation Not Sure TABLE 2a BEST YEARS PREDICTION By Manager Status, Effective Communication, Familiarity with Goals, Understands Role Contribution, and Familiarity with Company Performance "Based on everything you know about the company or organization you work for, would you say they have their best years ahead of them or their best years behind them/best years behind them or their best years ahead of them?"

5 Best years ahead Best years behind Manages People Company Communicates Effectively Familiar with Company's Goals/ Objectives Understands how role contributes Familiar with Company's Performance Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No % % % % % % % % % % % TABLE 2b BEST YEARS PREDICTION By Company Size, Years with Company, and Overall Reputation "Based on everything you know about the company or organization you work for, would you say they have their best years ahead of them or their best years behind them/best years behind them or their best years ahead of them?" Best years ahead Best years behind Company Size Years with Company Overall Reputation < ,000-9,999 10,000+ < Good Neutral Bad Not % % % % % % % % % % % % % Sure TABLE 3a COMPANY COMMUNICATION By Manager Status, Familiarity with Goals, Understands Role Contribution, and Familiarity with Company Performance

6 "Overall, how is the communication you receive from your company / organization in providing information of value to you?" Effective Very Somewhat Not Effective Not very Not at all Manages People Familiar with Company's Goals/ Objectives Understands how role contributes Familiar with Company's Performance Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No % % % % % % % % % TABLE 3b COMPANY COMMUNICATION By Company Size, Years with Company, and Overall Reputation "Overall, how is the communication you receive from your company / organization in providing information of value to you?" Company Size Years with Company Overall Reputation < ,000-9,999 10,000+ < Good Neutral Bad Not % % % % % % % % % % % % % Effective Very Sure

7 Somewhat Not Effective Not very Not at all TABLE 4a ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENAGEMENT - SUMMARY "How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?" I am familiar with the company's goals and objectives. I understand how my role contributes to achieving the goals and objectives of the company. I am well trained and prepared to communicate company news and information Agree Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Disagree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree % % %

8 to my employees. I am familiar with how the company is performing against its goals and objectives. I see myself as a primary communicator of company news and information to my employees. % % TABLE 4b ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENAGEMENT SUMMARY OF AGREE By Company Size, Years with Company, Overall Reputation "How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?" I am familiar with the company's goals and objectives. I understand how Company Size Years with Company Overall Reputation < ,000-9,999 10,000+ < Good Neutral Bad Not % % % % % % % % % % % % % Sure

9 my role contributes to achieving the goals and objectives of the company. I am well trained and prepared to communicate company news and information to my employees. I am familiar with how the company is performing against its goals and objectives. I see myself as a primary communicator of company news and information

10 to my employees. TABLE 5 EMPLOYMENT STATUS "What is your employment status? Please select all that apply." Base: U.S. Adults % Employed full time 37 Employed part time 11 Self-employed 7 Not employed, but looking for work 8 Not employed and not looking for work 2 Not employed, unable to work due to a disability or illness 7 Retired 21 Student 7 Homemaker 11 TABLE 6 POSITION TYPE "Which of the following best describes your position at the company/organization you work for? If you have more than one job, here and in later questions please think about the one you consider your primary job." % Hourly 50 Salaried 38 Other 12 TABLE 7 MANAGER STATUS

11 "Do you manage people at the company/organization you work for?" % Yes 29 No 71 TABLE 8 TIME WITH CURRENT EMPLOYER "How many years have you been with your primary employer? If you are self-employed in your primary job, please estimate the length of time you have been self-employed." % Mean 8.8 years TABLE 9 SIZE OF COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION "Across all locations, approximately how many total employees work for your company or organization? If you are not sure, please provide your best estimate." %

12 1 8 2 to to to to to to to to ,000 to 2, ,500 to 4, ,000 to 9, ,000 to 14, ,000 to 19, , Methodology This Harris Poll was conducted online, in English, within the United States between November 12 and 17, 2014 among 2,276 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, The Harris Poll avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of The Harris Poll. Product and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The Harris Poll #32, June 10, 2015 About The Harris Poll

13 Begun in 1963, The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys measuring public opinion in the U.S. and is highly regarded throughout the world. The nationally representative polls, conducted primarily online, measure the knowledge, opinions, behaviors and motivations of the general public. New and trended polls on a wide variety of subjects including politics, the economy, healthcare, foreign affairs, science and technology, sports and entertainment, and lifestyles are published weekly. Want Harris Polls delivered direct to your inbox? Click here!