The research – carried out by YouGov for Investors in People UK, the body that works with organisations to improve performance – reveals that 43% of employees[1] would like more responsibility in their current role.  Many managers[2] would also like their people to take on more responsibility, but a fifth say they wouldn't trust their employees to deliver and almost a fifth (19%) believe their people are not interested.

A big concern is employers appearing to misunderstand the impact increased responsibility would have on employees.  Nearly half (43%) of managers surveyed believe their people would be concerned about the extra workload if given more responsibility, yet only 8% of employees said it would have a negative impact on their performance and only 4% said it would make them less motivated.

Giving employees the opportunity to help take the strain would have an overwhelmingly positive impact on their motivation and job satisfaction levels, according to the research.  Conversely, a manager who does not allow employees to take on any responsibility risks demotivation (59%) and frustration (58%) among their people.  Worryingly, under such circumstances, 42% of employees would look for a new job offering more of a challenge.

Commenting on the findings, Simon Jones, Chief Executive at Investors in People UK, said: “We often hear from managers that it is tough at the top, but our research shows employees want to share that burden and would relish the opportunity to grow their own roles by taking on more responsibility.  This should come as a real ‘win-win’ message to managers who may find that knowing this untapped resource is available provides them with renewed motivation to delegate responsibility.

“By the same token, it is also a reminder of the dangers of not giving employees clear opportunities to grow.  By taking everything on themselves, managers could leave almost two thirds of their people feeling demotivated and two fifths could end up looking for a new job.  In other words, giving employees the right level of responsibility is vital to driving the productivity of organisations through their people.”

Sadly, poor communication appears to be a factor on both sides of the fence.  Over half (53%) of employees surveyed have never asked their manager for more responsibility which may be because the potential for role development within organisations is poorly communicated.  Nearly a third (29%) of employees who said they had not asked their manager for more responsibility believes there are no opportunities to take on extra responsibility in their role.  Indeed, over a third (35%) of all employees surveyed perceives their organisation’s structure as one of the barriers to being given more responsibility.  Unfortunately, nearly one in six (15%) say it is because their manager is too controlling.

The research also shows that employees are motivated by more than just money, with many happy to take on more responsibility if it was part of a structured development plan (42%) or if they could see it leading to a promotion (44%). 

Ends.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact the Investors in People press office on 020 7544 3118.

Notes to editor:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2,452 UK adults who work in a company/ business with 2 employees or more. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28th July –  8th September 2008. The survey was carried out online. The figures are unweighted.

Investors in People:

• The Investors in People Standard provides a practical framework for improving business performance and competitiveness through good practice in people management.
• An organisation that has achieved the Standard has been successful in adopting and maintaining its three fundamental principles: Plan - developing strategies to improve the performance of the organisation, from business goals to leadership strategies; Do - implementing those strategies, taking action to improve the performance of the organisation; Review - evaluating and adjusting those strategies, measuring their impact on the performance of the organisation.
• The Investors in People framework is promoted, developed and delivered by Investors in People UK – an organisation whose main stakeholder is the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
• The Investors in People framework is delivered by a partner network:

1. In England, the network of Investors in People Centres.
2. In Scotland, Scottish Enterprise (SE) or Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
3. In Wales, the Business Skills Delivery Team at the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Assembly Government.
4. In Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment of Learning.