Employee Loyalty Erodes With Time

Loyal Workers: Building employee loyalty is getting more difficult. A new report by Walker Information in Indianapolis, classifies more than two-thirds of employees as “high risk,” meaning they are not committed to their organizations and thus are likely to leave within two years. And in a corporate version of the seven-year itch, employee loyalty dips after nine years on the job. Walker’s research finds that people employed with a company for less than a year are least loyalty, while those with the highest loyalty ratings typically average between six and nine years on the job. Only 36 percent of workers with between 10 and 19 years of tenure are categorized as truly loyal, with the percentage dropping to 30 percent for employees with 20 or more years under their belts. The report indicates that companies are missing opportunities to boost employee engagement by involving their workforces in company strategy.

The picture isn’t entirely bleak. Fifty-eight percent of employees surveyed say their employers show care and concern for their welfare, up from 54 percent in 2005.