A new national poll of the U.S. workforce conducted by Eagle Hill Consulting finds that most employees are skeptical that their companies have the leadership, culture, and resilience to navigate the ongoing pandemic.
The research indicates just 30 percent trust in leadership and management to successfully manage through the crisis, down from 32 percent in March. The poll results also showed just 22 percent believes their organization has a culture that fosters employee innovation and collaboration to deal with the crisis. Just over one-third (36 percent) say they think their company has the resilience to withstand the pandemic.
There are some bright spots, however. The survey found more employees are feeling productive now, 37 percent compared to just 27 percent in April. Nearly half of workers (46 percent) say they are increasingly attentive to customer needs, up from 37 percent. Employees also reported improving connections to fellow employees, at 29 percent compared to 20 percent in April.
The findings come from the 2020 Eagle Hill Consulting Trended COVID-19 Employee Survey, which polled more than 1,000 respondents across the U.S. A version of the poll was conducted at the height of the pandemic in mid-March, and the more recent follow-up during mid-August.
"This sustained low level of confidence in organizational leadership, resilience and culture is deeply worrisome," says Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting.
"The pandemic and its impacts aren't going away anytime soon. Employers must find an approach that builds confidence in their workforce and shifts their culture if they hope to emerge intact on the other side of the pandemic. It is encouraging to see, however, that employees are finding ways to overcome the challenges of the pandemic – they are feeling more productive and connected as virtual work for many continues."
Part of the research involved polling employees on what their employers could do to make them feel safe returning to an office environment. The results indicated the number of employees wanting to see safety measures implemented is on the rise.
- 42 percent say they want to see employee temperature screenings (up from 32 percent).
- 41 percent say they want employees to have a voice in decisions and strategies around returning to the office (up from 31 percent).
- 38 percent want returning to the office to be optional
- 35 percent say companies should provide relevant support and guidance based on employee risk profiles.
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