Canadian employers need to work on their communications skills or risk their company’s bottom line, according to a study released today.
The research, which was conducted by the Canadian Management Centre and Ipsos Reid, shows that 58% of Canadian employees think that change is not well communicated in their workplace. Only17% of those workers agreed with the direction the company is going. Of the 42% of respondents who said employers did a good job of communicating, 79% agreed with the company’s plans for change.
“These numbers clearly show the effect that both good and bad internal communication during times of change can have on organizational results,” said John Wright, president and managing director, Canadian Management Centre.
“Leadership, both executive and front-line, is the single most important factor impacting employee engagement, especially during organizational transition.”
The survey also found that workers who fall into Generation X are the most critical of how rumours and messaging are handled, and are also unhappiest with how their managers involve employees in solving business problems. The survey showed Millenials – Generation Y – are the most satisfied with how their managers encourage new ideas.
