This trend is even more pronounced among organizations with more than 1,000 employees. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (61%) at large organizations consider employees to be less loyal than five years ago compared to 44% of respondents with fewer than 1,000 employees.

　　“It seems employee loyalty has declined sharply in recent years among large North American organizations,” said Sam Davis, vice president of AMA’s customized consulting solutions. “Yet, understandably, given the stakes, many organizations still seek to make employee loyalty a core part of their culture. When presented in terms of whether or not loyalty is a ‘major focus,’ even more companies indicate they value loyalty.”

　　“There are many reasons why loyalty remains a core value at many organizations,” advised Davis. “Devoted employees know the business and focus on the job. There’s less alienation and more engagement. It aids people at all levels, because loyal employees work with the best interests of the organization in mind and help protect the team. Conversely, lack of loyalty can infect an entire enterprise and foster increased absenteeism and turnover.”

　　Developing a productive manager/employee relationship is the best way to foster loyalty, according to Davis. “Employees first need their basic needs met, such as fair compensation, a safe and non-toxic work environment, as well as opportunities for career development. Coaching, job skills training, and learning opportunities show that the company is serious enough about employees to invest in their future. Managers should engage employees in decisions about their work and give input into the how, why, and what they do. This will go a long way to help employees become more personally invested, interested in the outcome, and intrinsically rewarded by their work.”