While the improving economy is good news for everyone, some employers are getting slightly nervous as they ask themselves a difficult question: Will workers leave en mass once they see greener grass elsewhere?
“There is a bit of fear on the horizon that as we come out of this recession those employees who have been mistreated — we will see the loss of those people,” says Dave Ulrich, a University of Michigan business professor. “We think there’s a real crisis around employee engagement.”
Wendy Ulrich, a psychologist and Dave’s wife, says that in the past year many employees have been grateful to have a job — no matter what the conditions.
But that attitude probably will start to change as the economy improves and more workers begin to look for something more in their jobs. She says that many will search for “meaning” and for company cultures that show appreciation and respect for their work. If they can’t find that in current positions, she says, it could lead them to look for jobs elsewhere.
In Dave and Wendy’s Ulrich’s new book, The Why of Work (McGraw-Hill, $27.95), the authors say that while managers within some companies fear that employees will jump ship at a critical time, the upper ranks aren’t necessarily feeling this same concern.
