Hell hath no fury like an employee...ignored.

A book detailing the follies of the Bush Administration from an insider’s perspective came out this week. Matt Latimer, former speechwriter for George Dubya, has written Speech-less, forcing the ex Administration to shudder and call the author a traitor. What prompted yet another "tell all" from an employee in the Bush administration? Did Latimer and Dubya have an argument? Did Dubya not like the speeches Latimer wrote?

On the contrary, Bush never had any interaction with Latimer at all. He was basically ignored.

A recent survey published by Talent Management indicates that only one-quarter of workers are less likely to be looking for another job in today’s tightening labor market. Why the rush out of their cubicles? According to survey findings, companies seeking to retain their employees when the recovery begins should start by addressing three key areas of dissatisfaction: compensation, career growth paths and retention efforts.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, showed that two-thirds (66 percent) of American workers are not currently satisfied with their compensation. Additionally, 78 percent of American workers are not satisfied with their company’s overall retention efforts and 76 percent are not satisfied about future career growth opportunities at their company.

Other key findings of the survey included:

• Relationships are strained: Almost half (48 percent) of workers are not satisfied with the relationship they have with their boss and the majority (59 percent) of workers are not satisfied with the level of support they receive from their colleagues.
• Company vision and leadership is lacking: The majority of workers (77 percent) are not satisfied with the strategy and vision of the company and its leadership.
• Retirement contributions: 68 percent of workers are not satisfied with their company’s contribution to their retirement plans.

As we move closer to an economic recovery, managers should remember that career development begins with communication. What workers are telling us is that even during a recession, just having a job does not equate to job satisfaction. Employers need to be conscious of the concerns their staff is managing through on a daily basis and proactively come up with the appropriate solutions to improve retention and reduce the current and future high cost of turnover. Ignoring employees and their concerns will only incur their future wrath...and cost your organization.

Here are some tips to help to reduce feelings of dissatisfaction among your employees.

• Make retention efforts more visible: Behind the scenes, managers may be doing what they can to retain their employees, but staff won’t feel valued if these efforts aren’t visible to them. Retention efforts begin through mutual dialogue and building trust. Managers should engage their employees in the realities of the business challenges to foster employees’ understanding of the market and competition.
• Reward and provide reason: If increasing compensation due to the current economic climate is not possible, look to reward employees through an awards program or team contest. Improving morale just by recognizing good work can help ease compensation complaints. As the survey found, dollars and cents are not the only way to improve satisfaction, so be sure you are putting in the extra effort where extra investment is not available. In addition, employees benefit greatly by understanding the reasons behind lower compensation and how these short-term adjustments will help them and the company in the long run.
• Communicate a growth path for employees: Managers should map out a growth plan for employees and communicate it to their teams. Employees will then understand that managers are invested in their future, and they’ll be more confident in investing their time and career with the organization.

Don't ignore your employees, and you can reap the benefits of retaining your top performers when the economy improves.