Forty-three percent of workers recently surveyed by CareerBuilder.com reported they do not feel valued by their employers. Dissatisfaction with management techniques is a main contributing factor with four-in-ten stating their corporate leaders play favorites and nearly one-in-four reporting their direct supervisors do not take time to help them develop or improve. The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Life at Work 2004," was conducted from February 19, 2004 to February 29, 2004 and included more than 1,500 workers.

"Effective management has a direct impact on employee satisfaction, which in turn has a direct impact on business performance," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. "Workers who feel appreciated and supported by their organizations are more likely to perform at a higher level and stay with the employer long-term. With nearly one-in-four workers reporting they feel like just another number to their organizations, employers will need to revisit their retention strategies to keep their top performers in place and bottom line intact."

An employee's experience with management begins with the direct supervisor. Today's workers are voicing concerns with their supervisor's ability to lead with 42 percent stating they can do their supervisor's job better. Part of their criticism is attributed to the amount of individual attention given to employees as well as perceptions of character. Twenty-four percent say their supervisor does not take time to review job concerns and 22 percent say their supervisor is not trustworthy.

Beyond the direct supervisor is the employee's experience with senior management. Forty-seven percent of workers state their corporate leaders do not lead by example. Workers also report feeling distanced from senior management with 32 percent reporting that corporate leaders do not keep staff informed of company objectives and initiatives.

"Employees can often feel removed from their corporate leaders, especially in larger organizations with tiers of management," continued Haefner. "If employees don't feel connected to and inspired by senior management, they are less likely to 'follow the leader' and take a personal stake in company goals. Thirty-seven percent of workers today say they don't feel motivated by their corporate leaders."

  Haefner recommends the following employee retention tips:

   1) Carve out a clear path for career advancement.  Offer training and
      development opportunities to show your employees you are invested in
      their future.
   2) Stay connected and communicate often.  Make sure employees are
      informed of new developments and reinforce their importance in the
      company's success.
   3) Implement the "Three R's Rule":  Recognize, Reward, Repeat.  Pat your
      employees on the back for every job well done to show your
      appreciation of their efforts.
   4) Ask them about their day.  Measure employee satisfaction on a regular
      basis and implement resolutions in a timely manner.

  The Survey

The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Life at Work 2004," was conducted from February 17 to February 29, 2004 of more than 1,500 workers. To collect data for the survey, CareerBuilder.com commissioned SurveySite to use an e-mail methodology whereby individuals who are members of SurveySite Web Panel were randomly selected and approached by e-mail invitation to participate in the online survey. The results of this survey are accurate within +/- 2.53 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

About CareerBuilder.com

CareerBuilder.com is a leading online source for maximizing recruitment dollars and optimizing job searches with superior products, customer service and technology. With a unique combination of national, local and niche audiences, CareerBuilder.com makes it easy for recruiters to reach the most qualified candidates with industry-leading market research data and support. Job seekers can search for the right job from more than 400,000 continuously updated postings, representing more than 25,000 of the top employers in virtually every industry, field and location. Together with Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company , and Knight Ridder, Inc. , CareerBuilder.com includes the Web's top newspaper sites -- the most trusted employment sources in recruiting. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, call 888-670-TEAM or visit CareerBuilder.com at http://www.careerbuilder.com/ .

  Media Contact
  Jennifer Sullivan
  Director, Corporate Communications
  (773) 527-1164
  jennifer.sullivan@careerbuilder.com

SOURCE: CareerBuilder.com