Majority of American Workers Wouldn't Change a Thing About Their Boss, According to Adecco Survey

MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the jobless rate continues to hover around 9 percent and the economy struggles to improve, American workers indicate their relationship with their boss is strong and positive. Seventy-eight percent of employed Americans feel their boss would "go to bat" for them if their job were on the line.  Further, if given the chance to change something about their boss, a majority (59 percent) thinks their boss is great and wouldn't change a thing, according to a recent survey from Adecco Staffing U.S., part of the world's largest recruitment and workforce solutions provider.

The research, an omnibus conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of Adecco Staffing US, was conducted in honor of National Boss's Day which is celebrated this year on October 17.  The survey was designed to gauge how American workers feel about their bosses.  

American workers were asked to choose the country's arguably biggest best boss – those potentially in the running for President of the United States in 2012 -- President Obama easily topped the list with 37 percent of employed workers picking him over other candidates. This was especially true among women who chose Obama (43 percent) vs. men (32 percent).  On the other hand, men (15 percent) were more likely than women (7 percent) to think the best boss of the potential presidential pool would be Rick Perry, Governor of Texas.

Survey findings also revealed that employees were interested to know more about how their boss feels about their job.  When asked what single question they most would like to ask their boss, the No. 1 response was not compensation or career choice; rather, 25 percent of respondents wanted to know if their boss was passionate about his or her job.  That said, the boss' salary did pique the interest of some (19 percent) and seemed to matter more to those with lower compensation. Employees making less than $75,000 were nearly two times more likely to want to ask their boss about their salary than those making more than that amount.

"It's great to see that workers seem to have an overall good feeling about their relationship with their boss. It's a strong indicator that employee engagement remains positive – or that connections have been effectively re-strengthened - between boss and employee" said Joyce Russell, president and EVP of Adecco Staffing US. "It may be a sign that as the economy continues to recover, American workers recognize the value of their work relationships."

While American workers may think their boss is great, the survey did show that they want to keep a healthy barrier between their work and personal lives.  When asked to choose the most uncomfortable conversation topics between boss and employee, nearly a quarter of Americans (23 percent) said that the topic they're most uncomfortable discussing is their relationship status. Coming in a close second and third were political beliefs (16 percent) and medical history (11 percent).  Surprisingly, zero percent of respondents said they would be uncomfortable discussing their age with a boss, and only five percent said they'd be uncomfortable discussing their weight.

In addition to conversation topics, American workers were also asked which activities outside the workplace would be most awkward to do with their boss - a majority (43 percent) responded that they would feel the most awkward going on a double-date with their significant other and their boss / boss's significant other. Going to a movie with their boss came in close behind (38 percent), indicating that there are activities outside of work at which respondents draw the line.

"The boss/employee relationship will continue to play an important role in how productively the U.S. gets back to work," said Russell. "It's refreshing to see employees re-engage with employers; this sense of support and loyalty has a great impact on the employer-employee relationship as we all work together towards a stronger economy. Bosses cannot underestimate the value that a happy, productive employee adds to the workplace."

About Adecco Staffing US

Adecco Staffing US is the nation's leading provider of recruitment and workforce solutions. We are the pre-eminent workforce management partner for Fortune 500 companies and career advisement expert for American workers, serving all of the key industries and professions that drive our economy forward. Adecco has over 900 career centers and, on any given day, connects 70,000 talented workers to the best job opportunities across the country, making us one of America's largest employers. Please visit us at adeccousa.com

About the Adecco Group:

The Adecco Group, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is the world's leading provider of HR solutions. With approximately 33,000 FTE employees and over 5,500 branches, in over 60 countries and territories around the world, Adecco Group offers a wide variety of services, connecting over 750,000 associates with well over 100,000 clients every day. The services offered fall into the broad categories of temporary staffing, permanent placement, outsourcing, consulting and outplacement. The Adecco Group is a Fortune Global 500 company.

Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN).

About Opinion Research Corporation International

Founded in 1938, Opinion Research Corporation International (ORC) is a leading global market research firm with offices across the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific region. ORC is an official partner of CNN, the most trusted name in news, on the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll.

Methodology

This omnibus telephone survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation International on behalf of Adecco Group North America among a nationally representative sample of 834 full or part-time employed American adults 18 years of age and older. The survey was fielded between September 8 – 12, 2011.  Results have a margin of error of +/- 3.4% at the 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, contact Vannessa Almeida at (212.843.1965) or [email protected].

SOURCE Adecco Staffing US