Forty six per cent of employees in the UK describe their working atmosphere as “bad” and “mostly disappointing” according to new research from StepStone and totaljobs.com.
The UK office atmosphere ranks second worst in Europe, with Danish employees (48%) the most disappointed with their office atmosphere followed by Austria (40%) and Belgium (35%). A common factor influencing the office atmosphere is how well people get on with their colleagues.
In stark contrast, the most recent World Happiness Report ranked Denmark as ‘the world’s happiest country’. Rather than looking at the work environment, this report was based on factors including GDP, life expectancy, social support, “perceptions of corruption”, and “freedom to make life choices”.
At the other end of the scale, 31 per cent of Dutch employees say that their working atmosphere is “great” and that it motivates them every day. Positive Netherlanders are followed by the French and Swiss (24%) and Swedes (22%).
Commenting on the findings, John Salt, website director at totaljobs.com says: “The working environment is very important – people are spending more and more time in the office. With increasing numbers of people able to work on the go, employers must give staff the flexibility to choose the working environment they find most inspiring. For those in the office, a tidy and comfy space with a few perks, like flexitime, will help keep people motivated and happy.”
“In 2014 some people will be looking to make a fresh start. When you are searching for your next job, make sure that you like the look of the office, not just the job spec. Working in an environment you find motivating will improve the quality of your work and your job satisfaction.”
This comes as no surprise since many employees live in the shadow of poor management who focus on the short-term and are inept at strategic planning, business development and developing mutual employee-company loyalty over the long-term.
With an unhealthy focus on negatives and under-performance rather than upon “catching people doing something right” its no surprise that an unhealthy, back-stabbing, brown-nosing environment is prevalent.
The majority of business leaders seem to miss the secret of success exhibited by shining-lights like Sir Richard Branson; who seem to believe in trying to get the most out of people by empowerment and encouragement.