One in three (30%) UK employees is de-motivated at work, according to new research published today by Investors in People UK. Significantly, 43% are considering taking action and leaving their job in the next 12 months, with those that have been in their job for one to two years most likely to want to do so (48%).

The research - carried out by YouGov on behalf of Investors in People UK, the organisation that works with companies to improve their productivity - found that the top three de-motivating factors for employees were: unreasonable workload (18%), feeling underpaid (18%) and lack of clear career path (17%).  For those that have been in their role for one to two years, lack of a clear career path (24%) was the most de-motivating factor – greater than workload (17%) or pay (16%).

Overall, nearly half of employees (44%) claim their organisation has failed to continue supporting their career development beyond their initial induction period.  Over a quarter (28%) of employees also said they felt unsupported by their managers.

Commenting on the findings, Simon Jones, Chief Executive at Investors in People UK, said:

“This research reveals a worrying picture, not only because such a significant proportion of UK employees are de-motivated, but because it suggests that valuable employees may be heading for the door. It’s also important to highlight that employees that have been with an organisation for just one to two years are most likely to want to leave, given nearly half claim their employers focus their efforts on the initial induction stage but then, as employees settle in, let employee development fall down the list of priorities.

“Employees, however long they’ve worked in an organisation, want better support from their managers alongside clear and effective feedback on their performance.  This support is vital when it comes to mapping out career paths and identifying relevant training and development.  Without it, employees are likely to drift and depart rather than stay engaged with their organisation’s objectives. We hope this research will act as a reminder to employers of all sectors and sizes, ensuring they stay alert to the signs of employee demotivation and take action to address it. Those that don’t, risk losing valuable talent and experience.”

Other interesting findings from the research include:

• De-motivation is highest within larger companies with 39% of people in organisations of 5,000 or more say that they are not very motivated compared to 30% in organisations of between 50 and 250 people.
• Motivation is lowest amongst public sector workers, with 41% saying that they are not very motivated and 44% claiming to be less motivated than they were a year ago.  Employees in the public sector are also the most likely to be thinking about leaving their job, half (50%) said they were considering a change of job.
• Employees in the North East are the least motivated in the UK, with 38% saying they are not very motivated and 52% thinking about leaving their job in the next year.

Ends

Notes to editor:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2,931 UK employees who work in a company/ business with 2 employees or more. Fieldwork was undertaken between 27th September - 5th October 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures are unweighted.

Investors in People:

• The Investors in People Standard provides a practical framework for improving business performance and competitiveness through good practice in human resource development.
• An organisation that has achieved the Standard has been successful in adopting and maintaining its three fundamental principles: Plan - developing strategies to improve the performance of the organisation, from business goals to leadership strategies; Do - implementing those strategies, taking action to improve the performance of the organisation; Review - evaluating and adjusting those strategies, measuring their impact on the performance of the organisation.
• The Investors in People Standard and Profile are promoted and developed by Investors in People UK – an organisation whose main stakeholder is the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
• The Investors in People Standard is delivered by a partner network:

1. In England, the network of Investors in People Centres.
2. In Scotland, Scottish Enterprise (SE) or Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
3. In Wales, the Business Skills Delivery Team at the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Assembly Government.
4. In Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment of Learning.