One-Third of Employees Are Unclear About Company Business Goals

It’s hard enough for businesses to reach their strategic goals; it’s even harder when employees don’t know what those objectives are.

Workers at small companies may be less cognizant of the strategic vision than their peers at larger ones, says a new survey by Robert Half Management Resources.

CFOs were asked, “In your opinion, how aware are your employees of the company’s strategic business goals?” According to the survey, approximately one-third (34 percent) of chief financial officers (CFOs) said their employees are not very or at all aware of their firm’s strategic objectives.

Thirty-five percent of executives from companies with 20-49 employees said their teams are not aware of the firm’s objectives, compared to just 9 percent of respondents at the biggest organizations (1,000 or more employees).

“Employees who know about their company’s strategic goals are more motivated to help the business reach them,” said Paul McDonald, Robert Half senior executive director. “Managers need to go beyond simply sharing the vision, however, and show workers how their contributions support the efforts to reach organizational objectives.”

McDonald added, “With fewer staff and a more nimble structure, small companies, especially, have an opportunity to broadly discuss strategic business intentions and rally their teams around those targets. Even organizations still refining their vision should communicate to staff their initial business goals and the company’s progress toward achieving them.”

Click here for an infographic featuring a breakdown of the data by company size.