Loyalty to the employer at an extremely low level – that’s what HR managers say

The loyalty of the employees to the employer is at an extremely low level. That is the core message of the “State of the Global Workplace 2023” report by the consulting agency Gallup. According to the annual study, only 16 percent of Germans feel emotionally attached to their employer – in Europe the figure is only 13 percent. This also leads to a high willingness to change in Germany: 56 percent of Germans are openly considering a job change even in the crisis.

Celine Melo Cristino is Recruitment and Employer Branding Manager at Stepstone. Above all, she finds the low emotional bond with the employer frightening. “I assume that these companies also have a wide range of benefits, and I therefore imagine that interpersonal relationships tend to fall by the wayside there.” She therefore advises employers to allow more space for personal interaction during working hours or to actively work on creating it.

“I think there’s only a certain amount of predictability in emotional connection that comes from hiring leaders who are empathetic and who make it a point to make their team members value each other not just as colleagues, but a little bit beyond that,” Cristino said. “It’s not uncommon for great friendships to develop in the workplace.” Companies that don’t maintain relationships with one another make up the employers with whom working people hardly feel connected.

Rimma Pitkewitsch from Comspace does not believe that emotional bonding can be planned, but she also confirms that there are levers that strengthen cooperation among each other. The HR manager says: “Close communication at eye level throughout all phases of employment is important.” In addition, offers for job security, flexibility in terms of working hours and work location, further education and training opportunities as well as consistent family-friendliness offer an environment that promotes loyalty.

Pitkewitsch also provides an example that Comspace recently implemented for its own team members: the extension of the special protection against dismissal for pregnant women to include partners. This is based on the special protection against dismissal for expectant mothers and applies up to a maximum of 280 days before and four months after the birth of your own child. Colleagues who would like to adopt a child are also guaranteed this special protection against dismissal by Comspace.

According to Celine Melo Cristino, the fact that almost every second German is willing to change does not always have to be related to a lack of loyalty to the employer. “This group doesn’t have to be people who are doing badly at their job,” she says. “Some might just want to get to know something new again.” Rimma Pitkewitsch also agrees: “There can be different reasons for those who want to change.” Sometimes a random offer is just right. There are many arguments.