Most employees prefer one-to-one meetings with their manager, says research

03 October 2008

Employees want to hear news of change directly from their managers, but too often have to hear it by rumour and gossip instead, according to Investors in People research.

Sixty-eight per cent of the 2,500 people surveyed by YouGov for IIP agreed that they preferred one-to-one meetings with their boss to other methods of communication such as company-wide announcements. But 56 per cent said they were first alerted to change by meetings behind closed doors and hushed conversations.

Sixty-nine per cent of UK employees anticipate upheaval in their workplace over the coming year, including increased workload (46 per cent), redundancy (14 per cent) or relocation (14 per cent).

Many respondents expressed cynicism about the way their superiors managed change: 43 per cent believed they would not be given full information on the reasons for changes, while 49 per cent did not think management would listen to their views.

Simon Jones, chief executive at Investors in People UK, said: “To ensure productivity and motivation levels do not suffer in the current climate, it’s important that employers manage change in the right way. With more than two–thirds of the workforce expecting to experience a change in the workplace in the next 12 months, bosses must pay heed to employees’ views on how they’d like to be kept informed in times of change.

“The research suggests employers can make all the difference by delivering news of important changes to their staff via a one-to-one meeting, by seeking views and listening to feedback and by offering support, whatever the changes being implemented. This is vital information for managers who are making tough business decisions and need to ensure they take their people with them to deliver the best results for their employees and the organisation.”