UK SMEs are losing some of their most talented employees due to a lack of communication in the business, according to a recent report.
Employers on the lookout for skilled graduates need to focus on the levels of communication throughout their entire hierarchal system, say Geckoboard.
Understanding real-time business progress
A study by Geckoboard highlighted that a staggering 80% of employees desire their managers to share more information with them concerning the business, with just 9% saying they are aware of company progress in real-time.
This lack of transparency appears to be creating a culture of mistrust in SME businesses, with 79% of employees saying they don’t trust their managers after they’ve failed to share company data with them.
Connecting communication and productivity
Meanwhile, 50% of UK employees, both graduates and older professionals, say that company information has a huge impact on productivity and efficiency, with 93% saying they would rather hear bad company news than be left in the dark.
Despite these figures, 49% of the British workforce will only receive key company data four times a year – or less.
This therefore suggests that the British business industry is adopting a “mushroom management” approach, by keeping employees in the dark on all company matters.
Paul Joyce, CEO at Geckoboard, said the saying “no news is good news” doesn’t apply to the UK workforce of 2015.
Ditching this style of mushroom management and choosing to utilise a clear, transparent data position with employees will not only boost morale but will also reinforce productivity levels, he added.
With more graduates leaving university in search of their ideal employer, it’s time SMEs took note of what today’s workforce want.
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