36% of employees could be at least twice as productive

Southampton, 10 June 2013: A study into job satisfaction has found that only 10% of Brits are fully satisfied with their jobs, with more than one third of workers (36%) believing they could be at least twice as effective if their potential was fully realised by their employer.

The independent study, commissioned by PEER 1 Hosting, canvassed the opinions of 1300 professional adults in the UK.  Only one in seven respondents (14%) said they feel their employer nurtures their talent and potential, with a mere one in five (18%) claiming they felt inspired by the work their company does.

The research asked employees: “If your company was managed in such a way that employee’s potential was fully realised, how much more money do you think the company would make each year?” The range of answers varied considerably from naught to millions, with £50k being the average. Also identified was that less than a third of workers (28%) believe their company’s customers are “very happy with the products or services that they receive”.

Nearly half the British workforce is not motivated by money, with 45% of respondents stating that a higher salary would not inspire them to bring more of their talent to work. Instead, the research revealed the vast majority of British professionals (87%) want their employers to nurture their talent through personal development, training and external learning opportunities.

Dominic Monkhouse, EMEA MD of web hosting company PEER 1 Hosting, said: “We commissioned this study to acquire a deeper sense of what is needed to help our colleagues realise their own full potential.

“Like many businesses in Britain, one of the key factors in our own success is the ability to attract and retain talent, but our responsibility doesn’t end there. As an employer it is also vital that we nurture individuals and help them realise their own ambitions to be at their absolute best once they are in the business. This then becomes a virtuous circle - unlocking potential and productivity whilst also making the working environment one that staff value.”

Henry Stewart, Author of The Happy Manifesto and Chief Executive of Happy Ltd., said: “This research not only highlights the scale of the problem but also the opportunity that exists for businesses in Britain. The difference between a workplace that nurtures and cultivates talent and one that kills it is enormous in terms of productivity. A lot can be achieved through the introduction of passion, imagination and trust, which need cost nothing.

“All too often employees in Britain grow disillusioned in their job and feel they have more to give. The research results are a wakeup call to British businesses - they have a workforce that is ready and willing to be firing on all cylinders but the ignition key needs to be turned.”

Further analysis revealed that Londoners aged 25-34 working in the financial sector are most likely to be dissatisfied in their job.  Conversely, 16-24-year-olds employed in the professional services sector in Northern Ireland are most likely to rate their levels of job satisfaction highest.

To read the research results in full click here: http://www.peer1hosting.co.uk/blog/nurturing-talent