Kenexa Research Institute Announces Publication of 2010 WorkTrends(TM) Annual Report

This Year's Report Examines Leadership and Managerial Effectiveness; Analyzes Correlation Between Employee Confidence and Leadership Trust


PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwire - September 22, 2010) -  Fifth Annual Kenexa World Conference -- Kenexa (NASDAQ: KNXA), a global provider of business solutions for human resources, today announced that the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI) has published its annual WorkTrends™ report. This sought-after body of research was presented for the first time today at the company's Fifth Annual World Conference, which is being attended by Kenexa clients, partners, press and analysts.

Jack W. Wiley, Ph.D., founder and executive director, Kenexa Research Institute, commented, "As we wrote this year's report, economies around the world had started to show initial signs of recovery. While this is optimistic, most countries' citizens are asking 'how did we get into this situation in the first place?' and seeking actionable information that will avert similar scenarios in the future. The 2010 Kenexa Research Institute WorkTrends Report explores the importance of leadership and managerial effectiveness to employee engagement, as well as the relationship between trusted leadership and organizational success."

The research focuses on employee engagement and how healthy organizations are comprised of well-trained, engaged workers who have the tools they need and are aligned toward common goals. According to KRI, the four overall factors that consistently drive employee engagement are leaders who inspire confidence in the future; managers who recognize employees and emphasize quality and improvement; exciting work and the opportunity to grow and develop; and organizations that demonstrate a genuine responsibility to their employees and communities.

Comparing country-level employee engagement differences in India, China, The Netherlands, Mexico, Denmark, United States, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan revealed that the order of these countries is consistent with the depth of employee engagement by country. India is ranked highest (71%) and Japan ranked lowest (38%.) According to the 2010 Kenexa Research Institute Work Trends Report, globally speaking, when employees report that they follow effective leaders, the average employee engagement index score is 91%.

Wiley concluded, "Our findings show that organizations with the highest levels of employee engagement and best leadership will recover from the economic downturn faster and emerge in a stronger position. This year's WorkTrends Report will enable readers to learn how to gain and sustain competitive advantages through effective leadership."

Kenexa Research Institute has been collecting the opinions of workers from a random selection of full-time employees in the United States nearly every year since 1985. Since 2007, WorkTrends has been administered online, which has allowed data to be collected outside the United States. In 2010, approximately 10,000 workers in the U.S. and 1,000 individuals in each of the following countries took the survey: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and select countries in the Gulf Co-op Council (GCC), namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Altogether, 29,338 employees were surveyed in 2010.

The full WorkTrends report can be purchased for $499. More information about the research can be accessed at www.kenexaresearchinstitute.com.

About Kenexa
Kenexa® provides business solutions for human resources. We help global organizations multiply business success by identifying the best individuals for every job and fostering optimal work environments for every organization. For more than 20 years, Kenexa has studied human behavior and team dynamics in the workplace, and has developed the software solutions, business processes and expert consulting that help organizations impact positive business outcomes through HR. Kenexa is the only company that offers a comprehensive suite of unified products and services that support the entire employee lifecycle from pre-hire to exit. Additional information about Kenexa and its global products and services can be accessed at www.kenexa.com.