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UK Companies risk productivity crisis by ignoring employee morale, says forum

Training and coaching vital to retaining staff and driving business goals forward

Representatives from the corporate, HR and training sectors have unanimously agreed that UK plc will seriously jeopardise business productivity if it doesn't begin to address the motivation and happiness levels of employees today.

As a result of increasing pressures such as longer working hours, the need to be multi-skilled and fear of redundancy, more than half a million people in the UK are unhappy at work or suffering from job-related stress.

The message from the roundtable event, which was hosted by NETg and DBM, was that UK companies need to start providing effective support, training, and coaching to staff if they want to meet business goals and retain employees in the future.

"Companies are facing a number of challenges today such as downsizing and financial constraints as a result of the highly competitive economic climate," said Joanne Heath, Business Advisor, Business Link.

"It is vitally important that throughout any period of uncertainty staff are kept positive and motivated to ensure that an organisation's growth, productivity and competitiveness do not suffer. Providing the right support through coaching and training and demonstrating how this fits into business objectives plays a huge part in helping staff to remain happy and enthusiastic."

The event was held following a recent survey carried out by NETg and DBM which revealed that a large majority of UK organisations still do not recognise the value of training and coaching in developing and motivating staff. The survey showed that only 18% of employees were trained in the skills required to carry out their job and a worrying 60% of respondents did not understand how the training they received tied into their company's business goals.

"It is concerning to see that companies are still not realising the benefits that training can bring to an organisation - not just in terms of developing highly skilled people, but also in raising productivity and motivational levels," commented Jon Buttriss, Executive Director of Technology and Product Development, NETg. "It is also worrying that companies aren't effectively communicating the reasons for training to their employees. Staff need to understand the reasons driving their learning and how this ties into overall business goals - this will help them to understand the value of their role in the organisation and ensure they feel more enthusiastic in helping the company propel forward."

Ignoring staff motivation levels also appears to be affecting Britain's competitive position when compared to its European counterparts. The UK's productivity already lags 40% behind that of the US and 14% behind France* and this figure will only increase if nothing is done to ensure that employees are kept enthusiastic and happy.

"Keeping staff motivated is extremely important - and during the current downturn should be a key objective for every company," commented Paul McKelvie, Director, ScottishPower Learning. "It is vital that organisations today ensure that their workforce is fully engaged - both in terms of productivity and motivation. A strong commitment to learning and training is something we believe can really help to do this - by making sure employees understand their individual and company value."

Ian Wheeler, Senior Vice President, Business Development Europe, DBM, continues: "One of the most important things a company can do today is provide clear lines of communication and interaction to its staff. By not doing this businesses are risking staff happiness and commitment. Motivational coaching and training, from entry level to executive level, is an excellent way to address this, helping staff to feel more positive and deal enthusiastically with challenges that a continuously evolving business environment faces today. Coaching and training is something every organisation should take seriously - real investment in your employees is central to attracting and retaining the best talent through both the good and the bad times."

The panel included Mike Emmott, Advisor, Senior Relations, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD); Joanne Heath, Business Advisor, Business Link; Debbie Cairns, Business Advisor, Investors in People (IIP)/Business Link; Paul McKelvie, Director, ScottishPower Learning, ScottishPower; Ian Wheeler, Senior Vice President, Business Development Europe, DBM; and Jon Buttriss, Executive Director of Technology and Product Development, NETg. The roundtable was chaired by Tony Gould, Managing Director, DBM.

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