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• One-fifth of employees in each country are
indifferent about whether to stay or go – a
disaffected group with the lowest levels of
motivation and engagement, and the potential
to stall productivity and breed even greater
apathy within the ranks.
Given the uneven global economy and the related
apprehension felt throughout much of the world,
organizations in both countries may be focused
more on bottom lines and business goals than on
people management and investments in rewards,
training and career opportunities. Workers feel
marginalized, and their sense of insecurity has
the potential not only to drive down engagement
levels, but also to paralyze those who otherwise
would have left their jobs.
At the same time, if struggling economies shift
into more robust recovery, new job opportunities
are sure to increase, threatening existing pools
of valuable talent and fueling productivity and
morale issues among remaining workers. And
while growth and profitability dominate the
corporate agenda, ongoing financial pressures
greatly limit investments in potential solutions.
6
What’s Working™ Around the World
Declining levels of employee engagement dominate
Mercer’s
What’s Working™
survey findings for
North America, with one-third of employees
throughout the US and Canada looking to leave
their organization – an increase of approximately
10 points in both countries since their last surveys.
While the US endures a sluggish economic
recovery, marked by continued high
unemployment, a troubled financial system
and shaken consumer confidence, Canada
has weathered the downturn with far fewer
adversities, boasting low unemployment, little
government debt and strong economic growth.
Despite the differing economic landscapes, a
closer look reveals other troubling trends among
the engagement scores shared by both:
• Among employees age 16–34, four in 10 have
an eye on the door. Yet, this nascent talent is
also the most positive and consistently shows
a higher level of commitment – an unfortunate
paradox for employers seeking to build a strong
pipeline for the future.
North America regional summary