Morale Numbers: Figures Don't Lie, But Liars Do Figure

There are numbers and there are numbers . . .

A quarter of U.S. employers say morale among workers at their companies is low, according to a recent CareerBuilder survey.

Two out of five employees responded they had trouble staying motivated and do not feel loyal to their employer.

Why? Stress. Two of five workers employees say stress levels were high; half said their workload was increased.

Reality?

Morale is much lower than published, much like unemployment is much higher than published. A high percentage of employees will claim undying loyalty and motivation on a survey in part because they don't trust their employers to not "peek" into the survey, find the traitors, and deal with them. Other employees hope against hope the axe doesn't fall on them next and perhaps professing loyalty and motivation provides the penitence they are seeking from no one in particular.

This recession has crushed morale at most employers. And employers don't see it because most don't really care. They care about productivity and employees who are afraid of losing their jobs work hard.

Until . . .

Until there is light at the end of the tunnel, things get better, and when that happens most employees don't forget their fears, the sleepless nights and who was responsible.

The real tab will be presented to most employers after the recession ends and hiring begins.

The relatively few employers that have credibly connected with their employees by doing great jobs communicating and exhibiting care, compassion and concern objectively will be rewarded. Those who haven't will face the music in the form of decreased productivity, increased turnover, and union organizing efforts, just to name a few of the creative ways employees will respond. That will in turn result in a collective whine from employers who don't understand why employees don't just don't appreciate them anymore.

And the beat goes on . . .