Effective Employee Communications Fosters Corporate Reputation

New York, N.Y. – As a whole, American workers rate their employers’ reputations favorably, with over two-thirds of employed Americans rating their employer’s reputation as good (67%). One-quarter feel their company has a neutral reputation (25%) and just 2% see their employers as having a bad reputation.

More good news for U.S. employers comes in the form of seven in ten (69%) working Americans feeling the best years are ahead for their company. Not surprisingly, those who view their company as having a good reputation are more likely than those assigning a neutral reputation to believe the best years are ahead (76% vs. 54%, respectively).

Newly released findings from a November Harris Poll® that examines the relationship between effective employee communications and perceptions of their employer’s reputation, shows that companies who truly connect with their workers may have found themselves a secret ingredient after all. The poll of 2,276 U.S. adults (of whom 1,117 were employed or self-employed) was conducted online between November 12 and 17, 2014.

The engagement effect

Looking through the filter of employee engagement, we consistently find engaged employees more likely to both say their company has a good reputation and that their company’s best years are yet to come.

• Effective Communication: Those who feel their company effectively communicates information of value to employees are more than twice as likely as those who don’t to rate their company’s reputation as good (76% vs. 36%, respectively). Similarly, employees of effective communicators are more likely to believe the best years are ahead for their employer (75% vs. 47%, respectively).
• Familiarity with Goals and Objectives: Good reputation (71% among those who are familiar with the company’s goals and objectives vs. 39% among those who aren’t); Best years are yet to come (71% vs. 49%, respectively).
• Understanding Personal Contribution: Good reputation (70% among those who understand how their role contributes to the company vs. 44% of those who don’t); Best years are yet to come (72% vs. 42%, respectively).
• Familiarity with Company Performance: Good reputation (72% among those who are familiar with their company’s performance vs. 47% among those who aren’t) and to believe its best years are ahead (73% vs. 52%, respectively).

“The reputational impact of effective internal communications is clear,” says Carol Gstalder, SVP, Reputation Management & Public Relations Practice for Harris Poll, “and the role of managers is vital.” Employees look first to their manager to obtain the information they need to do their jobs. Effective managers share important company information in ways that resonate with their staffs, motivating them to achieve company goals.  Today, only one-third (33%) of managers strongly agree they are a primary communicator to employees and 47% strongly agree they are well trained and prepared to communicate news and information to employees.  Given the impact of employee communication on company reputation, ensuring managers are equipped with the skills needed to effectively communicate is an essential ingredient in today’s workplace.

TABLE 1a

OVERALL COMPANY REPUTATION

By Manager Status, Effective Communication, Familiarity with Goals, Understands Role Contribution, and Familiarity with Company Performance

“How would you rate the overall reputation of the company or organization you work for?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 1b

OVERALL COMPANY REPUTATION

By Company Size and Years with Company

“How would you rate the overall reputation of the company or organization you work for?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 2a

BEST YEARS PREDICTION

By Manager Status, Effective Communication, Familiarity with Goals, Understands Role Contribution, and Familiarity with Company Performance

“Based on everything you know about the company or organization you work for, would you say they have their best years ahead of them or their best years behind them/best years behind them or their best years ahead of them?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed                                           

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 2b

BEST YEARS PREDICTION

By Company Size, Years with Company, and Overall Reputation

“Based on everything you know about the company or organization you work for, would you say they have their best years ahead of them or their best years behind them/best years behind them or their best years ahead of them?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed                                           

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 3a

COMPANY COMMUNICATION

By Manager Status, Familiarity with Goals, Understands Role Contribution, and Familiarity with Company Performance

“Overall, how effective is the communication you receive from your company / organization in providing information of value to you?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 3b

COMPANY COMMUNICATION

By Company Size, Years with Company, and Overall Reputation

 “Overall, how effective is the communication you receive from your company / organization in providing information of value to you?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 4a

ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENAGEMENT – SUMMARY

“How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 4b

ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENAGEMENT – SUMMARY OF AGREE

By Company Size, Years with Company, Overall Reputation

“How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 5

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

“What is your employment status? Please select all that apply.”

Base: U.S. Adults

TABLE 6

POSITION TYPE

“Which of the following best describes your position at the company/organization you work for? If you have more than one job, here and in later questions please think about the one you consider your primary job.”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

TABLE 7

MANAGER STATUS

“Do you manage people at the company/organization you work for?”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

TABLE 8

TIME WITH CURRENT EMPLOYER

“How many years have you been with your primary employer? If you are self-employed in your primary job, please estimate the length of time you have been self-employed.”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

TABLE 9

SIZE OF COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION

“Across all locations, approximately how many total employees work for your company or organization? If you are not sure, please provide your best estimate.”

Base: Employed or Self Employed

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online, in English, within the United States between November 12 and 17, 2014 among 2,276 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. 

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, The Harris Poll avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of The Harris Poll.

Product and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

The Harris Poll^® #32, June 10, 2015