Key Points from Gallup's State of the American Workplace

Gallup conducted a study of the American workplace environment from 2010 to 2012. After completing the study, the organization released a report highlighting some of the most important findings. If you manage administrative and clerical workers, you should use the information in this report to learn about how your workers feel about their workplace environment and their jobs in general. The information will give you some insight into how engaged your employees are and what you can do to improve that engagement.

Beth Stebner of the New York Daily News reported some of the results of the Gallup study. She says half of all workers surveyed are disengaged, which means they are not inspired by supervisors and managers. Twenty percent of the people surveyed have been labeled "actively disengaged." This means they use their breaks—and maybe even work time—to look for new jobs or complain about their current jobs. This paints a bleak picture of the American workplace, especially since many people spend a majority of their lives at work.

Whether you manage administrative assistants or receptionists, you can use the information in the Gallup State of the American Workplace report to change the way you manage people. You may not be able to change company policies, but you can make suggestions and ask that upper-level managers consider making changes. You can also change department policies in an attempt to increase employee engagement and improve your work environment. Gallup investigators found that employees are more engaged when they have flex time than when they are given a perks like massages and free lunches. If your department's workload allows it, you may want to consider allowing administrative professionals to use flex time.

Surprisingly, the Gallup study also revealed that employees are more engaged when they are allowed to work off-site. Consider allowing administrative assistants to work remotely when they are performing routine tasks that do not require them to be in the office. A change of environment might even improve their productivity and help increase morale. One of the biggest complaints of people who were surveyed in this study is that their bosses ignore their talents and fail to help them advance their careers. As an office manager or administrative professional, you can improve morale by assisting employees with professional development and awarding assignments based on employee performance.

How you manage administrative and clerical professionals has a big impact on office morale and productivity. You can use the information from the Gallup State of the American Workplace report to adjust the way you manage people in your department. Even small adjustments can make a big difference when you are working to improve your work environment and increase employee engagement. Your efforts will pay off in the form of happier employees.

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