I know.

I’m sorry.

I feel shamed.

Humiliated.

Dishonored.

Disgusted.

Wow. That felt good.

OK, I’ll tell you what I did… I over-estimated the level of engagement in my latest national benchmark study. I received the data right before a Employee Hold’em seminar I conducted and estimated the level of engagement among the 2350 employees included in the survey to be 48%.

The actual scores from the 2008 national benchmark: 43% Fully Engaged, 24% Reluctant, and 33% Unengaged.

I know what you’re thinkin’… Five percent is quite the margin. What kind of researcher are you!??!

No, that’s not what you’re thinking? You’re wondering how any company can be successful when nearly six in ten of their employees are unlikely to go the extra mile for customers, unlikely to believe ethics are more important than profits, and unlikely to stay for the next two years. AND YOU’RE RIGHT!!!

Pitiful.  Just pitiful.

Since the last survey conducted 24 months ago, unemployment has hovered around 4.7%.    Around 137.5 million Americans working every month.  Unemployment rate for college graduates at 2% (YES, Two Percent!!).  Today I heard forecasters are estimating Unemployment rate may go to 5.3% next year.  And if that’s the case, unemployment rate for employees with at least a bachelor’s degree will be 2.6%.  Remember, unemployment rate for college grads is half of the national rate, it’s been that way for the last couple o’ decades (look at that, I turned Irish for a second).

Great numbers if you are an employee with skills, education, and experience.  Horrible if you are an employer, especially if you’re one who doesn’t understand the basics of employee engagement and retention.  RECRUIT, RETRAIN, REWARD, RETAIN.  The words are easy to define, harder to understand and implement.

I am delighted to work with some best of class companies who have taken a proactive approach to attracting, motivating, and retaining their employees.  Sad part of the story?  60% of today’s companies don’t even know the definition of the Four R’s.  That’s why I tend to concentrate on the 40% of companies that do.

I made a boo-boo.  I over-estimated the engagement of employees to their employer.  My mistake was caught and fixed quickly.

What about yours?