Employees want to feel like they’re part of a family

A survey of more than 4,500 individuals globally found that a vast majority want to work for a company where they “feel like part of a family.”

The survey by Zeno Group involved more than 4,5000 participants from Singapore, Canada, the US and the UK.

Almost nine out of 10 respondents (87%) said they want to work at a company where they “feel like part of a family”, while 70%  considered their job “an important part of their identity.”

Further, the study found that a company’s mission and values, the clear starting point for corporate behaviour and decision-making, are now in question.

Almost half (44%) respondents globally said they are concerned about their own company’s mission and values.

More specifically, a significant number of respondents said they “do not know what their company truly stands for or represents,” ranging from 30% in the US, 32% in Canada, 37% in the UK, and as high as 54%in Singapore.

“Some employees think their company’s long-held values have grown out of touch in a changing world, while others claim the company values are no longer aligned with their own. The foundation has become unsteady,” said Mark Shadle, Managing Director, Zeno Global Corporate Affairs.

An opportunity for management 

Amid all these concerns, the research suggests that employees are not getting what they want from the boss – clear, relevant communication that will enable them to do their best.

Only a third of respondents globally say their employers do an excellent or great job in empowering them to communicate about the company to others.

On a more positive note, nearly 62% of employees globally say they would perform better if their bosses communicated more clearly.

A similar proportion (63%) say they would perform better if their companies articulated values, strategy and direction more clearly.

“This is becoming the perfect storm, as employees are saying ‘I don’t know what my company stands for, I’m not getting the information I need to do my job well, and I’m worried about my future’,” says Shadle.

“We think it’s a wake-up call but also a real opportunity for management to reset the internal communications agenda, by proactively identifying the true barriers to engagement – the ones that matter most to employees — and addressing them directly.”