Last week I was talking about instant feedback as a means to drive engagement and productivity. I just read this new piece of research from the UK where they YouGov surveyed 2100 employees and found that actually only 24 per cent said that their employer had clearly articulated their 2010 objectives to the workforce, while a third (32 per cent) even doubted there was a plan for their business at all.

According to an adviser David MacLeod to the group behind this research Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Bis) there’s a huge loss at stake.

“This is just one example of how poor employee engagement can put the brakes on improved business performance. If leaders don’t explain where the business is going and what it’s seeking to achieve, how can people be motivated or know what they’re meant to contribute? Clear goals are a key ingredient for achieving performance and productivity – but worryingly this research suggests many employers haven’t yet grasped this for 2010.”

MacLeod further said that the financial benefit of engaging with staff is very real – if employer actions raise engagement by just 10 per cent, they could typically increase profits by up to £1,500 per employee per year.

Well I don’t know the details behind this particular study but it’s very consistent with tons of other research on the topic of the financial benefit from increasing people’s engagement levels from helping them know what to do. After all who’d argue that not knowing where the company’s heading nor not knowing what to do would make any sense at all.

Full post on the study results can be found here.