Nine Steps to Improving Employee Satisfaction.

• Author: GOUGHNOUR, ROBERTA C.
• Position: Column

Is the "Disgruntled Employee of the Month" Costing You Money?

Walking through the parking lot of a local hardware warehouse store, I spotted a bumper sticker that really struck me as sad. It said "Disgruntled Employee of the Month." My first reaction was that someone was making a joke at his or her employer's expense. My second was "What a waste!" Today's employment market is so competitive that talented employees can switch jobs with little or no time off or lost income. Most even improve their financial situation. Hopefully this disgruntled employee will find a new, more satisfying, employment situation.

Whether the employee stays or goes, the employer is bound to suffer a financial loss of some type. This is because "Disgruntled" costs money. If he or she leaves, there is the cost of advertising, interviewing and training a new employee in addition to the training already invested in "Disgruntled." If he or she stays, the costs, while just as high, can be more difficult to measure. One of the costs can be lost productivity due to poor morale on the part of both the "Disgruntled Employee of the Month," and the employees who must work with "Disgruntled" on a daily basis. Also, statistically speaking, "Disgruntled" probably also has a higher rate of absenteeism and on-the-job injuries than other employees. All of these factors make "Disgruntled" an under-performing asset compared to more satisfied employees.

There is currently a wealth of information available outlining the results of research on positive employee motivation and retention strategies. A quick surf on the Net pulls up a myriad of research on topics such as "Managing Human Capital." And new books, such as The ROI of Human Capital and The HR Score Card, are selling even before they hit the bookstores. When I read this literature, however, I find several recurring themes on the types of management programs that build corporate value. These commonalties are:

1. Shared Mission or Vision: Organizations that have a mission or vision statement and use it as a guide for decision-making find employees spend less time and resources on non-income-producing activities when their people management strategies are aligned to the mission. A team guided by a clearly stated and communicated mission is more cost-effective and competitive than one where the mission is fuzzy or nonexistent.

2. Regular Employee Input and Feedback Programs: Building a corporate culture that requires employees to be an...