Almost 50% employees unhappy with their job

The challenging economic conditions are taking a toll on employees, as nearly half of the executives around the world are dissatisfied with their jobs, and do not trust their leaders, a survey says.

According to Executive Quiz, conducted by global executive recruitment firm Korn/Ferry, nearly half (47 per cent) of employed executives surveyed are either somewhat or very dissatisfied with their current position.

The lacklustre job market has not only left executives unhappy with their jobs, but the survey results also uncover a lack of trust for corporate leadership, the survey said.

"Global recession has left fewer employees to do more work, often for less pay. Stress levels are high and some executives are getting burnt out.

However, irrespective of the business cyclicality, firms must take proactive steps to keep key employees engaged if they want to retain them for the long term and be seen as an employer of choice," Korn/Ferry ceo and president (leadership and talent consulting), Ana Dutra, said.

Asked what best described employee morale within their company, 45 per cent of employed executives said either 'fair' or 'poor', followed by 42 per cent who said 'good' and only 13 per cent believe it is 'outstanding'.

The survey said low employee morale among executives may be linked to lack of trust in company leaders as about 31 per cent said they did not trust their bosses.

Despite this, three-fourths of executives surveyed gave favourable performance ratings with excellent (19 per cent), above average (35 per cent) or average (22 per cent).

However, as many as 36 per cent of executives reported they do not trust their CEOs.

When asked if their current CEO was the best person for the job, only 38 per cent respondents said "absolutely," while 34 per cent responded "somewhat" and 28 per cent said "not at all."

The Korn/Ferry International Executive Quiz is based on a global survey of executives registered within the firm's online executive centre.

Respondents from 70 countries, representing a wide spectrum of industries and functional areas, participated in the latest Executive Quiz in May-June 2009.