Firms face a battle to improve employee engagement

Managers at firms across the UK are facing an uphill battle in boosting employee engagement, as new figures have indicated worker confidence levels are at rock bottom.

Statistics released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) have shown fewer members of staff have faith in their bosses.

This is largely due to heightened fears over redundancies and also because of a reduction in pay and lifestyle benefits.

Indeed, 37 per cent of respondents argued their quality of life had deteriorated, compared to just 31 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010.

CIPD resourcing and talent adviser Claire McCartney said the attitudes reflected in the study highlighted the need for better employee engagement.

There also appeared to be a big difference between the public and private sectors, with the former said to be less content than the latter.

Despite this, research conducted by the think tank Policy Exchange showed that public sector employees are generally enjoying better pay perks than their private working counterparts.