Gusto Launches "Community at Work" Report Revealing Small Businesses Have the Secret to Happy Employees

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - August 30, 2016) - ​Today Gusto​, which provides payroll, benefits and HR for modern companies, released research revealing what small business owners and their employees want when it comes to feeling connected, valued and energized at work -- and the impact that has on engaging and retaining talent. Findings show that when it comes to employees staying at their jobs, a strong sense of community is the tie that binds. In its absence over half (52%) of employees have left a job or strongly considered leaving a job.

A recent report​ from Gallup revealed the percentage of U.S. workers who were considered engaged in their jobs averaged 32%. The majority (50.8%) of employees were "not engaged," while another 17.2% were "actively disengaged." Meanwhile, small business employees demonstrated higher levels of engagement through building strong relationships with their coworkers and contributing to solving problems at work.

Gusto's survey of more than 600 small business owners and HR administrators and over 500 employees revealed:

• Community is key to success: ​The overwhelming majority of employers and employees at small businesses agreed that fostering a sense of community in the workplace directly contributes to their success. Over 80% of employees at small businesses feel personally connected to their coworkers. Two-­thirds of small business teams celebrate milestones together to boost camaraderie.
• It takes a village​: Small businesses that actively involve their employees in solving problems perform above average compared to other companies. 80% of employees feel they and their coworkers are aligned around a common mission that motivates them.
• People stay for the people: ​Today, working with a great team is a primary motivator for employees remaining with an employer. Over half of employees have left a job or strongly considered leaving a job because they did not have a strong sense of belonging to a community.

While small businesses are championing community at work, there is still room for improvement. Employees said working with a great team is their top motivator, whereas employers considered recognizing individual contributions or offering benefits to be more enticing. This misalignment could be corrected by measuring employee satisfaction, as almost a quarter (24%) of small businesses currently do not.

The full report​ can be read and downloaded at go.gusto.com/CommunityatWork

Methodology

The survey was conducted online within the United States by Google Consumer Surveys on behalf of Gusto on July 21, 2016 among two groups:

1. 618 small business owners or HR administrators who are ages 18 and older at companies with fewer than 100 employees
2. 501 employees ages 18 and older who work at small businesses with fewer than 100 employees

Complete survey methodology available on request.

About Gusto
Gusto's mission is to create a world where work empowers a better life. By making the most complicated business tasks simple and personal, Gusto is reimagining payroll, benefits and HR for modern companies. Gusto serves over 30,000 companies nationwide and has offices in San Francisco and Denver.