New research from the Hay Group shows that employees are too stretched to meet their business targets. 46% of employers admitted their staff already have too much on their plates even though CEOs have set ambitious growth targets for this year.
The survey also discovered that UK employers are failing to align their business strategy with performance management. More than eight out of ten business leaders in the UK agreed that individual performance management is a key driver of business performance, less than 25% of companies align their approach to performance management with the company strategy. 36% of business leaders measure performance management through a ‘tick-box exercise’.
Matt Crosby, an associate director with the Hay Group, said managing employee performance is at the heart of business success and senior managers often see it as a chore. Firms will not be in a position to deliver growth if they don’t adopt a tailored approach to their culture, strategy and values.
Meanwhile, research from Gradwell, the telecoms company, shows that even when people get time off they can’t actually leave the office, as several employees pick up business calls while they’re on holiday. Men are much more likely to answer calls while they’re on leave and 30% of the survey’s respondents say they make business calls while they’re on annual leave. People who work in London are most likely to receive or generate calls during their holidays.
Gradwell says these high figures suggest that companies are pressurising some of their staff to keep on working even during holiday periods. People in managerial positions find it particularly difficult to distance themselves from work and yet it’s vital to take a proper break.
Yet another reason to consider life as an umbrella company contractor!
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