Stagnant jobs lead to low engagement

Leadership issues

A new survey by Development Dimensions International (DDI), a Pennsylvania-based firm that specializes in talent management, reveals that more than half of America's workers believe their jobs are "stagnant." Even more worrying, HRM has learnt, nearly two-thirds of workers say they have no desire to take on a leadership role within their organization.

According to the report, those who said they felt their job was stagnant were twice as likely to say they had no room to advance their role. In fact, 32 percent of those who had this perception of their job has no desire to progress; while only 18 percent who didn't have this perception wanted to avoid leadership opportunities.

Other findings highlighted how those who think their job is "stuck in a rut" were also less likely to ask for more responsibility or more things to do (14 percent versus 27 percent) and believe they are less likely to be given exciting workplace opportunities (three percent versus 26 percent).

Proactive

Interestingly, say experts, these findings seem somewhat contradictory: given that those workers who are often more proactive about gaining more opportunities in the workplace are those who are then offered more exciting challenges and the chance to progress further in their role - thereby eradicating any sense of "stagnation."

HR experts go on to argue that workers are more likely to feel suffocated and bored in their role if they don't apply themselves accordingly or seek the opportunity to grow.

However, the survey also found that 46 percent of workers who said their jobs are stagnant said they "just do their job and go home," compared with 20 percent of those who don't feel stagnant. And, while 44 percent of respondents said they would be looking for another job when the economy improves, 77 percent of all workers who felt their jobs were stagnant said they'd leave for another company if given the opportunity.

Focus on your people

The advice from DDI is for HR managers to focus on their people. According to the firm's Vice President of Workforce Development, Jim Davis, "This economy has forced organizations to focus on generating revenue and delivering bottom-line results, but this data tells us they've forgotten about the importance of also focusing on their people."

Instead, suggest the firm, a renewed "people-first" mentality needs to return. Afterall, warns Davis, neglecting employees can only ultimately lead to bad things: "high turnover, poor performance and low engagement."

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