Workers will put in extra hours for growing firms

The majority of British workers would put in an extra ten hours a week for growing firms, according to a new survey report from Kimble Applications According to the firm’s Business Growth Report, which surveyed 1,000 full-time employees in the UK, 56 per cent of British workers would commit to an extra ten hours of work per week if it meant working for a growing company. Moreover, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of employees say that the growth and success of their employer directly contributes to their personal happiness. Eighty per cent believe that working for a growing company will help them grow more professionally.

Leaders should ignore this commitment to growth from the workforce at their peril, or risk losing employees, claim the report’s authors. Nearly a quarter of workers (23 per cent) have quit a job because they felt that the organisation wasn’t growing quickly enough. Almost a quarter of British employees (23 per cent) would move anywhere in the world if it meant working for an exciting, growing company, according to the survey.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]A quarter of workers have quit a job because they felt that the organisation wasn’t growing quickly enough[/perfectpullquote]

The survey also claims that nearly two-thirds of full-time employees (61 per cent) would be more apt to accept a job offer if they felt that the work was “more meaningful” than their current position.

When asked what would make them stay at a growing startup versus taking a new position at a more established organisation, more people (39 per cent) said the feeling of personal fulfilment than anything else, including financial compensation (26 per cent).

Eighty-four per cent of employees agree that if the work they’re doing is meaningful to them, they’re more willing do whatever it takes to help their organisation grow.

The US experience

Sixty-nine per cent of American workers would rather work ten extra hours per week if it meant being part of a growing company (compared with the 56 per cent of Brits). In addition:

• British employees are less likely to think that their work contributes directly to the growth of their organisation (71 per cent versus 80 per cent of Americans).

• British employees are less deferential to business leaders with just 28 per cent of workers feeling that company leadership is the most important contributor to growth, compared with 38 per cent of Americans.

Additional stats from Kimble’s Business Growth Report include:

• Most employees are influenced by communication; 39 per cent said that they would feel more invested in their company’s growth if leadership was sharing updates more often while 49 per cent said they might be if the right information was being shared

• While 42 percent of respondents said “to get paid” was the primary reason they do the work that they do, 22 percent said it was “to advance their personal career,” 22 percent said it was “to feel fulfilled,” and 13 percent said it was “to help their organisation grow”