MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the jobless rate
continues to hover around 9 percent and the economy struggles to
improve, American workers indicate their relationship with their
boss is strong and positive. Seventy-eight percent of employed
Americans feel their boss would "go to bat" for them if their job
were on the line. Further, if given the chance to change
something about their boss, a majority (59 percent) thinks their
boss is great and wouldn't change a thing, according to a recent
survey from Adecco Staffing U.S., part of the world's largest
recruitment and workforce solutions provider.
The research, an omnibus conducted by Opinion Research
Corporation on behalf of Adecco Staffing US, was conducted in honor
of National Boss's Day which is celebrated this year on
October 17. The survey was
designed to gauge how American workers feel about their bosses.
American workers were asked to choose the country's arguably
biggest best boss – those potentially in the running for President
of the United States in 2012 --
President Obama easily topped the list with 37 percent of employed
workers picking him over other candidates. This was especially true
among women who chose Obama (43 percent) vs. men (32 percent).
On the other hand, men (15 percent) were more likely than
women (7 percent) to think the best boss of the potential
presidential pool would be Rick
Perry, Governor of Texas.
Survey findings also revealed that employees were interested to
know more about how their boss feels about their job. When
asked what single question they most would like to ask their boss,
the No. 1 response was not compensation or career choice; rather,
25 percent of respondents wanted to know if their boss was
passionate about his or her job. That said, the boss' salary
did pique the interest of some (19 percent) and seemed to matter
more to those with lower compensation. Employees making less than
$75,000 were nearly two times more
likely to want to ask their boss about their salary than those
making more than that amount.
"It's great to see that workers seem to have an overall good
feeling about their relationship with their boss. It's a strong
indicator that employee engagement remains positive – or that
connections have been effectively re-strengthened - between boss
and employee" said Joyce Russell,
president and EVP of Adecco Staffing US. "It may be a sign that as
the economy continues to recover, American workers recognize the
value of their work relationships."
While American workers may think their boss is great, the survey
did show that they want to keep a healthy barrier between their
work and personal lives. When asked to choose the most
uncomfortable conversation topics between boss and employee, nearly
a quarter of Americans (23 percent) said that the topic they're
most uncomfortable discussing is their relationship status. Coming
in a close second and third were political beliefs (16 percent) and
medical history (11 percent). Surprisingly, zero percent of
respondents said they would be uncomfortable discussing their age
with a boss, and only five percent said they'd be uncomfortable
discussing their weight.
In addition to conversation topics, American workers were also
asked which activities outside the workplace would be most awkward
to do with their boss - a majority (43 percent) responded that they
would feel the most awkward going on a double-date with their
significant other and their boss / boss's significant other. Going
to a movie with their boss came in close behind (38 percent),
indicating that there are activities outside of work at which
respondents draw the line.
"The boss/employee relationship will continue to play an
important role in how productively the U.S. gets back to work,"
said Russell. "It's refreshing to see employees re-engage with
employers; this sense of support and loyalty has a great impact on
the employer-employee relationship as we all work together towards
a stronger economy. Bosses cannot underestimate the value that a
happy, productive employee adds to the workplace."
About Adecco Staffing US
Adecco Staffing US is the nation's leading provider of
recruitment and workforce solutions. We are the pre-eminent
workforce management partner for Fortune 500 companies and career
advisement expert for American workers, serving all of the key
industries and professions that drive our economy forward. Adecco
has over 900 career centers and, on any given day, connects 70,000
talented workers to the best job opportunities across the country,
making us one of America's largest employers. Please visit us at
adeccousa.com
About the Adecco Group:
The Adecco Group, based in Zurich,
Switzerland, is the world's leading provider of HR
solutions. With approximately 33,000 FTE employees and over 5,500
branches, in over 60 countries and territories around the world,
Adecco Group offers a wide variety of services, connecting over
750,000 associates with well over 100,000 clients every day. The
services offered fall into the broad categories of temporary
staffing, permanent placement, outsourcing, consulting and
outplacement. The Adecco Group is a Fortune Global 500 company.
Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on
the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN).
About Opinion Research Corporation International
Founded in 1938, Opinion Research Corporation International
(ORC) is a leading global market research firm with offices across
the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific region. ORC is an official
partner of CNN, the most trusted name in news, on the CNN/Opinion
Research Corporation Poll.
Methodology
This omnibus telephone survey was conducted by Opinion Research
Corporation International on behalf of Adecco Group North America
among a nationally representative sample of 834 full or part-time
employed American adults 18 years of age and older. The survey was
fielded between September 8 – 12,
2011. Results have a margin of error of +/- 3.4% at the 95%
confidence level. For complete survey methodology, contact
Vannessa Almeida at (212.843.1965)
or vannessa.almeida@adeccona.com.
SOURCE Adecco Staffing US
