Chuck Martin in a piece posted on darwinmag.com opines on the current state of employee morale and predicts a Talent Drain once the economy turns around. The economy has turned, 2 years ago, and the morale continues depressed according to recent surveys by NFI Research. So what is happening? Change is happening.
It is how it has always been in our domestic economy – industry, economics, employment, business, politics and society continue to evolve in the web of capitalism. The nature of employer and employee relationships today is a reflection of events and circumstances in our past and precursor of changes for the future. Yes, that is axiomatic but often gets lost in surveys about current events where people are directly impacted but powerless to alter the course or progress.
Consider employment relationships in American businesses over the last century and a half – approximately 6 generations. Agricultural technology and growth of industry after the Civil War was a major change driving workers from the fields into factories. Mass production, growth in cities, telegraph, electricity and industrialization altered the relationship between workers and employers at the turn of the century. A world war, weapon production, mass transportation and communications technology, the Depression, the development of the corporation during the first half of the century changed the relationship again. The second WW, a ravaged Europe, the rebirth of Asia, science and technology, health care improvements altered the relationships between employees and employers in American companies. Computers, communication networks including the Internet, entertainment, space exploration and mass customization during the last half of the century drove us to the current circumstances.
The relationship between company and employees has been deteriorating since the 1980s – the transition from skilled, moderate waged workers giving way to CPU and software. This trend continues apace and has far more effect on employment prospects and possibilities than any other cause. Anyone in a modern American company who thinks they will be working decades for that one employer has not been paying attention. The growth trend in small businesses and family owned enterprises where self-interest and self-satisfaction are more important motivators than title and corner office is a reflection of this change.
What the referenced survey reveals perhaps is not so much that things have gotten perceptibly worse, rather that the expectations of employees about their careers has not adjusted to the current reality of the workplace. Current young workers will not only have multiple jobs (changing once every 3 years) but multiple careers (once every 8 years or so). People who will have career success will recognize this fundamental change and embrace the opportunity and challenge to learn, to do different things and be placed in situations where they develop as resources.
In the new relationship between worker and employer, career trajectories will be varied and reflect the evolving character of work and worker. Successful employees will grow in their careers through taking advantage of opportunities, increasing wage through accepting better offers from other employers, getting ahead by working hard and doing well in return for a paycheck. Results, not effort alone will get the reward. Merit and performance will matter most in these new environment. Just waiting for something to happen and lamenting that times have changed will result only in low morale.
Companies will look to those who want short-term opportunities and who can be effective performers and leaders in their brief employment encounter. Modern companies and organizations that transition well are those that recognize the relationship has evolved and will pay premiums (not benefits) for high performance individuals that will come in, get things done and be leaving for a better opportunity. Organizations will focus on projects and teams that can be assembled, work effectively together and then disband upon completion. These will be the greener pastures that the talented manager and employee of the future will seek.
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