Company loyalty is important, but how much is too much?
Almost a quarter of 553 people surveyed in FINS' Sign or Decline question forum said they would consent to getting a tattoo of the company logo for their dream job.
While it comes as no surprise that some job hunters are willing to go the extra mile, employee loyalty has been declining over the years.
In MetLife's 9th annual Employee Benefits Trends survey, released last August, researchers found that 47% of employees felt very strong loyalty to their employer in 2009, compared to 59% in 2008.
"Over the last three years, employers have been doing more layoffs and furloughs, and employees still at the company are left picking up the workload," said Kathy Jacoby, assistant vice president of marketing at MetLife U.S. Business. Businesses cutting back have lowered bonuses, 401k matches, reduced raises and laid off staff. That's left many workers feeling overworked and underappreciated.
Employers are in denial about the decline in morale. The MetLife survey found that 51% of employers believe their staff is happy and satisfied, a number virtually unchanged since 2008. Employers "see relatively no change in employee loyalty," said Jacoby. "They think their employees are just happy to have a job."
Why is loyalty so important? It comes down to retention, said Jacoby. MetLife's survey found that one in three hoped to work for another company within the next 12 months.
"People are looking for employment elsewhere, which presents a competitive disadvantage for employers," said Jacoby. "Employees across all generations really do value workplace benefits."
Despite the general fall off in loyalty, some workers are willing to visually display their corporate commitment.
Employees of Anytime Fitness, a workout chain based in Hastings, Minn., can get the company's purple running man logo permanently inked on their bodies by a tattoo artist who shows up at monthly training sessions. More than 350 employees have gotten permanent tattoos including CEO Chuck Runyon.
Runyon says the tattoo represents a significant commitment to the brand. Employees receive standard benefits like retirement plans and health insurance, but they also have flexible hours and an office culture that includes contests and giveaways among staff, a combination of perks that Runyon believes encourages employee loyalty.
"We spend a third of our lives at work," he says. "If you don't love what you do, that's a miserable existence."
What Would You Do?
Answer the question and see how you match up with the rest of the FINS community.
You've just been offered your dream job, but... you must get a tattoo of the company logo.
Sign ...or... Decline
Write to Kelly Eggers
Sign or Decline is a series of questions on FINS.com that ask what you would do for your dream job. Since launch, late last year, over 100,000 answers have been received and compiled in our database. Participate in Sign or Decline here.
