Tewksbury

For example, the firm's Workplace Index survey reveals that workers across Europe believe their career security is closely linked to their ability to acquire new skills. Around 95 percent of respondents in each country surveyed say it is an employee's responsibility to stay employable by continuously learning and building job skills. Ninety percent also believe that customer focus is a primary driver of business success, and that their employer cares a great deal about its customers and their satisfaction. Hugh Shanks, Human Resource Effectiveness leader at Towers Perrin, said that the degree of consensus across European workers highlights how company cultures and working practices are cutting across traditional national identities. "The acceleration of M&A activity and industry consolidation across geographical boundaries are undoubtedly major causes of the development of pan-European attitudes to work," he added. The survey also revealed several areas where workers believe their companies need to improve. For example, less than half the employees interviewed believed that their company was able to respond quickly to changing customer and market situations. Furthermore, only 43 percent were convinced that their managers deal adequately with poor performers at work. The Workplace Index surveyed 6,000 workers in large companies across eight European countries.