Infogroup's research arm, ORC, recently conducted a survey of employee attitudes and intentions across the globe. The good news (depending on whether you see the glass half full or as half empty) is that globally 57 per cent of employees are engaged. Australia lags in terms of employee engagement, finding itself behind many other countries. The main reason for this, the report highlights, is Australian employees' stated intention to leave their current employer within 12 months. The report goes on to say that human resource practices are not the cause of this itchy feet syndrome. The cause of our low ranking, the survey reveals, is due to two factors. The first is deficiencies in manager capability. All too many managers do not inspire employees to work more effectively, with over 30 per cent of survey respondents not answering positively to the question about manager inspiration. In addition, managers still have a long way to go in coaching employees for performance improvement. One quarter of respondents answered negatively to the question asking whether they received regular and constructive manager feedback. The second major factor reducing engagement scores is the perceived lack of career advancement. Well over half of all employees are not satisfied with internal job opportunities within their current organization. With more that 15 years between us and the tabling of the Karpin Report - the biggest enquiry into business capability in Australia's history - it seems we still have a long distance to travel in our efforts to retain our best employees and engage them in the quest for superior performance. References Infogroup Perspectives 2010 Survey http://www.hcamag.com/news/australian-employees-less-likely-to-stay-with-their-employers/49028