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MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 13, 2013 -- It's hard enough for businesses to reach their strategic goals; it's even harder when employees don't know what those objectives are. But that may just be the challenge companies are up against. In a recent Robert Half Management Resources survey, approximately one-third (34 percent) of chief financial officers (CFOs) said their employees are not very or at all aware of their firm's strategic objectives.
Workers at small companies may be less cognizant of the strategic vision than their peers at larger ones, the research suggests. Thirty-five percent of executives from companies with 20-49 employees said their teams are not aware of the firm's objectives, compared to just 9 percent of respondents at the biggest organizations (1,000 or more employees).
The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources, the world's premier provider of senior-level finance, accounting and business systems professionals on a project and interim basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on interviews with more than 2,100 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in more than 20 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
CFOs were asked, "In your opinion, how aware are your employees of the company's strategic business goals?" Their responses:
|
Very aware |
24% |
|
Somewhat aware |
41% |
|
Not very aware |
30% |
|
Not at all aware |
4% |
|
Don't know/no answer |
1% |
|
100% |
View an infographic featuring a breakdown of the data by company size.
"Employees who know about their company's strategic goals are more motivated to help the business reach them," said Paul McDonald, Robert Half senior executive director. "Managers need to go beyond simply sharing the vision, however, and show workers how their contributions support the efforts to reach organizational objectives."
McDonald added, "With fewer staff and a more nimble structure, small companies, especially, have an opportunity to broadly discuss strategic business intentions and rally their teams around those targets. Even organizations still refining their vision should communicate to staff their initial business goals and the company's progress toward achieving them."
About Robert Half Management Resources
Robert Half Management Resources is the premier provider of senior-level finance, accounting and business systems professionals to supplement companies' project and interim staffing needs. The company has locations worldwide and offers assistance to hiring managers at www.roberthalfmr.com.