Vox Populi

An article in the New York Times called The Silent May Have Something to Say (reg. req’d) brings up several interesting points about what companies risk when they shut out employees and don’t solicit their input:

Companies lose more than creative ideas when employees feel muzzled. People who feel they cannot or should not speak their mind at work often become less engaged in their work. That in turn means they are less inclined to give their all to their jobs, and increases the odds that they will leave if another opportunity comes along.

Turnover is no joke: about 18 percent of all employees change jobs every year, according to a 2005 study by the Society for Human Resource Management, and companies spend about 1.5 times an employee’s salary to replace them, according to Spherion, a recruiting and staffing company based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The old adage “Silence is golden” never was all that good. It was just said to make children be quiet. Maybe the modern thought for HR could be, “Low turnover is golden.”

Photo credit: Gregg O’Connell

About the Author

Frank Roche

Frank started IFRACTAL over 7 years ago with Sarah Chambers. Together, they've created HR communications and HR software for some of the world's leading companies. Frank is also studying Flamenco guitar and origami.

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