European Company Survey 2019: workplace practices unlocking employee potential

This report is based on the fourth edition of the European Company Survey (ECS), which was carried out jointly by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) in 2019. The purpose of the ECS is to map, assess and quantify information on company policies and practices across Europe on a harmonised basis. The survey collected information from 21,869 human resources managers and 3,073 employee representatives in the 27 EU Member States and the United Kingdom. The unit of enquiry for the survey is the establishment: the local unit or site. This report covers a wide range of workplace practices and strategies concerning work organisation, human resource management, skills use and skills development, and direct and indirect employee involvement in organisational decision-making. A key objective is to show how workplace practices are combined and how these 'bundles of practices' are associated with the win-win outcome of workplace well-being and establishment performance.

The analysis finds that the establishments that are most likely to generate this win-win outcome are those that combine a high degree of worker autonomy, a balanced motivational strategy, a comprehensive training and learning strategy, and high levels of direct employee involvement in decision-making, as well as offering managerial support for these practices. To boost the adoption of employee-oriented practices - particularly in relation to autonomy, skills and employee involvement - managers should be offered appropriate support, as they play a key role in the decision to initiate workplace change. They are also crucial to its success, as they must continuously support the workplace practices implemented.

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