Coke-lloyd

A group of workers surveyed by the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) has identified communication at the workplace as the number one factor likely to influence their loyalty to their organisations.

The survey, conducted among 346 human-resource professionals in May of this year, found a total of 17 factors that respondents said drove the degree of loyalty to their employers.

"Quite possibly, Jamaica could be witnessing the effects of having an abundance of knowledge workers saturating the workplace," comments JEF Executive Director Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd. "This is good, as it speaks to the importance of transparency in business and by extent accountability."

greatest loyalty

In addition, the survey shows employees who display strong personal attachment to their organisations, demonstrate the greatest loyalty. This, says Coke-Lloyd, points to a "different dimension in workplace dynamics, and is a "movement from just the order of business to a level of intimacy between employee and work. The employer has to start seeing this relationship and respect its existence".

The survey also found generally high levels of loyalty among employees. Over 60 per cent of the survey respondents have indicated that their loyalty to their employer/organisations has grown.

However, the JEF researchers warn, there is no room for complacency. They note that the identification of communication as the main driver of loyalty "gives rise to the need for conducting further qualitative research to investigate the culture of communication in the Jamaican genre as it relates to our workplaces."

In her comments on the survey findings, JEF president Audrey Hinchcliffe implores employers to "create an ecosystem that will give rise to a loyal species of employees".

The new workplace ecosystem, she states, will be defined among other things, by an exemplary line of communication, an equitable reward-and-recognition system, state-of-the-art employee training programmes, and fair and affordable compensation.

According to Coke-Lloyd, the employee loyalty survey was commissioned because the federation had observed the trend of a lack of loyalty among the Jamaican workforce.

decrease in productivity

"The aftermath of any industrial action is the decrease in productivity and loss of revenue. This ... is far more costly than employers creating room for development of subordinates," Coke-Lloyd argues. "This breeding ground, when provided with the necessary fertilisers, will facilitate the fruition of dedicated and loyal employees," she adds.

The full findings of the survey are contained in the JEF publication, 'The Factors Affecting Employee Loyalty: A Situational Analysis'.