Assignment 3: First Day on the Job

Monica Lomax
Strayer University
HRM 530-Dr. Barrett
November 28, 2011

Employee satisfaction has a huge impact on the employee turnover rate in any company. The correlation between the two is obvious. If employees are satisfied with their job, the turnover rate will be lower than that of a company with unhappy employees. Malik, a new manager to a company, witnessed how an unsatisfied employee could be a potential loss of an asset. On Malik’s first day at his new job he was approached by one his new employees who was in distress. She came to him expressing how exhausted and frustrated she was with her job and that she planned to quit soon, despite being one of the organizations top performing employees. The employee told Malik that the workload was inconsistent. Ultimately, the employee felt overworked and the organizations shows a lack of challenge and skill enhancement for the employees. (Stewart & Brown, p.394) The concerns of this employee are the concerns of many employees from companies and organizations world wide. Employee satisfaction is the terminology used to describe whether employees are happy and are fulfilling their desires and needs at work. Factors contributing to employee satisfaction include treating employees with respect, providing regular employee recognition, empowering employees, offering above industry-average benefits and compensation, providing employee perks and company activities, and positive management within a success framework of goals, measurements, and expectations.
(http://humanresources.about.com/od/employeesurvey1/g/employee_satisfy.htm)
To insure that employees are provided with the necessary tools and benefits to be successful in the career growth, companies have to address the issues employees have with their career development. Forward-looking companies help employees to manage their development using the career development process. The career development process is series of steps that people can use to identify and pursue their long-term career goals. (Stewart & Brown, p.382-383) The employee mentioned in the case that she had a desire to start her own business one day and felt that her current position and status with the company was not preparing her enough or challenging her skills. The career development process includes four steps: self-assessment, reality check, goal setting, and action planning. When employees do a self assessment, they determine what their interest, values, personalities and skills are. From the self-assessment employees would normally complete a reality check to determine the accuracy of their self-assessments how they fit with opportunities in the environment. Goal setting and action planning are the final two components of the career development process. These two processes include setting goals for their future career plans and creating an action plan to achieve them. All four of these steps would benefit the employee referenced in this case. She clearly has higher aspirations beyond what her current employer is offering. If the need to grow and develop her career is not met with her current employer, the employee has made it clear that she will separate herself from the company. Companies who fail to satisfy their employees will more than likely have high turnover and difficulty retaining quality employees. Research conducted by Time magazine in 2010 indicated that less than half of American workers (45%) are satisfied with their jobs. This is the lowest percentage since 1987 and is an indication that U.S. employers have a lot of work ahead of them to undo the effects of the economic downturn and deteriorating employee attitudes. According to a Gallup poll, companies with large numbers of dissatisfied workers experience greater absenteeism and lower productivity. The most telling figure was the amount of turnover these employers experience which was 51% higher than their peers. Effective engagement strategies should target on-the-job satisfaction as a way to reduce turnover and maintain smooth workflows. More than half of U.S. workers feel their jobs are less secure now than they were a year ago. Approximately 70% of workers who feel their jobs are secure report happiness at work, but half of the workers who feel their jobs are in jeopardy are dissatisfied with their jobs. The takeaway from these statistics is that job security and employee satisfaction are connected, even though many workers are only hanging onto their jobs for a paycheck. (http://www.gaebler.com/Employee-Engagement-Statistics.htm) On the next work day, Malik should definitely have a meeting with his employees to discuss what additional concerns they have about the workplace. It is imperative to address the concerns. The urgency of the issue is illustrated by one of his best employees who has threatened to quit because of the lack growth, opportunity, and appreciation of the employees. Additionally, he should contact HR to develop an action plan on how to address the concerns of the employees ethically, effectively and efficiently as possible. Long-term, Malik may suggest that career development courses be implemented in training modules that can be accessed online for those employees who are interested in growing their careers. Another long-term suggestion could be offering tuition reimbursements for those employees who need additional certifications or college courses to enhance their skill sets within the company. There are now requirements for organizations to increase their workforce diversity so that they can address the developmental needs of the employees. This means creating programs that help the employees manage and balance their work and personal lives. Whether need is childcare or the desire to move up the corporate ladder of leadership, companies must provide the tools necessary to meet the needs and desires of their employees. With the increased effort provide these resources companies have noticed lower turnover rates because the employees are now satisfied or at least content. As a manager, it is extremely critical ensure that all your employees are content and have the necessary resources to perform their jobs well. When the negative association is due to lack of career growth or diversity within in the workplace, managers need to team up with HR to develop career development programs for the employees. In the case study, the new manager, Malik, should definitely pay close attention to the signs and behaviors of dissatisfied employees and immediately address the issues.
References:
Stewart, Greg, L., & Brown, Kenneth, G. (2009). Bus 530: Human Resource Management. (Custom ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Heathfield, Susan. Employee Satisfaction. http://humanresources.about.com/od/employeesurvey1/g/employee_satisfy.htm. Retrieved 28 November 2011.

Employee Engagement Statistics. http://www.gaebler.com/Employee-Engagement-Statistics.htm. Retrieved 28 November 2011.