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Amid industry recovery, High Tech employees see more innovation and greater emphasis on quality than employees in other industries
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—(October 31, 2005) Gantz Wiley Research’s 2005 national workforce survey, WorkTrends™, reveals High Tech employees are more likely to say their organizations focus on innovation and participation in decisions than their counterparts in other industries. This is essentially good news for the High Tech industry. Based on the AEA, the largest U.S. High Tech trade association, the High Tech industry is beginning a comeback marked by a significant decline in job loss, increased venture capital investments and increased exports.
WorkTrends 2005 shows 62% percent of High Tech Manufacturing industry employees report they are encouraged to be innovative, versus 51% of the employees in other industries. Seventy-five percent of High Tech employees believe their organization provides better quality of products and services than their competitors, fully 15 percentage points higher than employees in other industries. Not surprisingly, High Tech employees are also more likely to report continuous improvement in the quality of their products and services.
“The emphasis on quality and innovation is important for the success of the High Tech industry, which demands constant cutting-edge forward-motion,” according to Scott M. Brooks, Ph.D., General Manager of the Gantz Wiley Research West Coast Region. “Our research, based on thousands of business units, shows that employee opinions about quality and innovation are leading indicators of downstream organizational performance. We developed our High Performance Model based on statistical research to illustrate the links among leadership practices, employee engagement, customer loyalty and financial results. The bottom line is that leadership’s focus on quality and innovation drives successful business performance.”
According to the AEA’s annual report, Cyberstates 2005: A State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, the U.S. High Tech Industry has encountered a slow down in job loss. In 2003, the industry lost 333,000 jobs, mainly due to layoffs and transition of jobs overseas. In 2004, the industry lost 25,000 jobs, demonstrating significant progress. Notwithstanding the positive news, WorkTrends survey results also suggest high tech employers may have some cause for concern. In the midst of this recovery, employees continue to report poor job security. Only 51% of employees in High Tech Manufacturing report their organization provides good job security. This is 11% points lower than employees in other industries. “This should concern the industry because an employee’s perception of job security is a key driver of voluntary termination,” explained Brooks. “Clearly the sting of past layoffs is still on their minds, rendering organizations vulnerable to talent loss.”
Other WorkTrends highlights show a relative lack of sufficient training emphasis in the High Tech industry. Only half of High Tech employees were satisfied with the on-the-job training and with the training needed to perform their current job. These employee concerns could impede full recovery. Leo F. Brajkovich, Ph.D., SPHR, Executive Consultant, West Coast Region, explains, “Effective training is another leading indicator of business success. Employees must be properly prepared to meet the demands of their job or organizations risk losing both their employees and their customers. Our experience working with High Tech companies confirms their employees have a voracious appetite for training, feeling it is vital to maintaining their competitiveness worldwide.”
WorkTrends, an annual survey of 10,000 U.S. workers, was developed by Gantz Wiley Research over 20 years ago to provide a normative comparison to client survey results on topics including leadership, customer orientation, and employee engagement. WorkTrends data can be sliced by industry and by demographics such as tenure, job type, location, and race. Employees were surveyed from companies including Agilent, Apple, Applied Materials, Cisco Systems, Dell, Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, SBC, Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments, and Xerox, along with many others.
Founded in 1986, Gantz Wiley Research contributes to the success of its clients by helping them to better understand and act on the views of their key stakeholder groups. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with offices in San Francisco, California and Melbourne, Australia; Gantz Wiley Research is internationally recognized as the leader in identifying and leveraging the links among employee opinions and customer satisfaction to drive improved business performance.
Contact: Jenna S. Thompson, Manager, Marketing Communications (612) 332-6383
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