Employers are getting a failing grade in how they manage their employees.

According to Saba Software, a provider of talent management solutions, businesses are not only out of step with their employees’ perceptions of engagement, training and career development, they’re missing out on opportunities to take full advantage of employee talents and enthusiasm.

For one thing, more than half of human resources leaders (51 percent) and employees (52 percent) believe their organizations do not have a good employee feedback process. Companies aren’t asking their employees for feedback on anything approaching a regular basis. And when they do, they’re selective about it, leaving out or underutilizing the opinions of whole segments of the employee population.

Sixty-eight percent of baby boomers and 61 percent of female employees say they were rarely asked for feedback, versus 56 percent of male employees. Women aren’t made to feel comfortable about providing feedback, either; the survey shows only 56 percent of women are comfortable giving feedback, compared to 63 percent of men.

And there’s a sizeable disconnect between HR staff and other employees in how they perceive their companies’ efforts. Only 22 percent of employees believe their organizations are very effective in providing easy access to training and development, and the same percentage believe their organizations provide training and development that helps in career advancement. But HR managers, on the other hand, are significantly more optimistic about the companies’ efforts in those areas, at 41 percent and 43 percent respectively.

Of course, that disconnect stems from companies that don’t check with employees for feedback. If they don’t ask, they aren’t aware of how employees regard their efforts.

But if companies want to hang on to good employees, they need to wise up and reconsider their approaches to training and development, the study says.

Eighty-six percent of millennials, often the highest flight risk in the organization, say they would be more inclined to stay at their current company if they were given access to quality training and development. That’s a higher percentage than older coworkers; boomers and Gen Xers are less likely to stay even when given quality development. Just 76 percent of workers in the latter age groups say training and development would keep them at their jobs.

Instant Insights /

Businesses failing on employee management, study says

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