Over the years, our team of consultants at OrgVitality has seen recurring patterns and themes in employee survey data and focus group discussions. Some are readily apparent; others are more nuanced and emerge only through careful analysis. All are useful to anyone working in the field of talent management. In the spirit of cooperation, we are sharing some of the most consistent themes we've seen over decades of survey work, with a new series, "People at Work." In this series, CEO Jeffrey Saltzman aims to organize these observations, although many insights cut across multiple categories.
For the second part of this series, we focus on what might cause large shifts in survey results:
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Large shifts in employee survey results are often caused by a change in leadership, whether at the department, business unit, or company level, as the best predictor of future behavior tends to be past behavior.
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Although leadership styles tend to solidify by around age 30, growth is still achievable. Managers who encounter a defining life event, experience a “burning platform,” or engage in high-quality development efforts can shift entrenched behaviors and enact meaningful change.
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Trust or lack thereof is both a cause of certain behaviors and an outcome of others. For people at work, trust is hard won but easily lost. And once lost, it is difficult to regain, often requiring a change in leadership. When trust falters, the data will decline significantly.
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People want to be proud of where they work. Industry positioning, market share, innovation, ethics, environmental stewardship, serving a higher purpose, people policies, quality, customer service, and value provided, along with other variables, will impact pride. When an organization stumbles, for whatever reason, pride will decline.
If you have any questions or additional thoughts on any of these observations, you can reach out to Jeffrey Saltzman directly.
