Employee Study - OutBüro

Working From Home Is the New Must-Have Benefit Employees Are Seeking, Prodoscore Research Confirms

November 16, 2021 (updated November 16, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

A Hefty Majority Say Remote Work Makes Them Happier vs. Working in the Office

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–While business leaders debate the pros and cons of remote work, employees are clear: they want to hold on to their ability to work from home. According to a new third-party survey from Prodoscore, the leader in employee visibility and productivity intelligence software, the overwhelming majority of Americans (82.3%) are happier working remotely vs. working in the office.

But there are challenges. One that looms large for remote workers is the “fear of missing out,” a consequence of not being physically present in the office, where employees can be seen working diligently by upper management. Nearly a third of Americans surveyed (32.7%) said they are experiencing paranoia due to working remotely. Of those that are feeling paranoid:

71.5% said it has impacted their productivity at work
48.8% said they think they’re missing out on important conversations
48.8% said they feel like they’re replaceable
40.1% said it’s due to the inability to understand tone through virtual messaging
19.8% were concerned other employees were talking behind their (virtual) backs

“Survey after survey, ours included, confirms that at the very least employees want a hybrid work option,” said David Powell, President of Prodoscore, “We are faced with massive resignations and retirements. Millions of jobs are not getting filled. It is critical that we rethink how we define our workplaces, so that our employees are not paranoid, are able to be their most productive, and don’t want to quit.”

A Dedicated Home Workspace Makes All the Difference

Managers can foster productivity and a positive WFH experience by ensuring their teams have a designated, well-equipped home workspace.

Prodoscore’s research shows that nearly all remote workers (93%) believe having a dedicated home office makes WFH more enjoyable and boosts productivity. For many employees, this perception comes from firsthand knowledge: almost two-thirds (65.2%) of Americans surveyed who work from home have a designated home office.

Who’s going to bear the cost to equip the home office? Two-thirds of employees (66.4%) expect their employers to provide them with tools for success, whether that’s the necessary technology or the ergonomically correct chair and desk.

Expectations vary widely between generations. Those between the ages of 18 and 39 are more likely to expect their employer to outfit their workspace (77.5%), compared with Americans between 55 and 65 and above (48%).

Early in the remote worker phenomenon, there was speculation that employees would move to less expensive locales or even far-flung locations, given the opportunity. But that has not proved to be the case. Our research shows that remote workers are staying put, with only a small percentage (11.8%) moving out of the city where their office is located. Of those who moved, 44.8% reported it was somewhere with a lower cost of living.

The Younger the Children, the More Difficult WFH Becomes

Highlighting the critical need for a dedicated workspace is the reality that more than two-thirds of working parents (69.5%) had their children at home with them. The level of difficulty reported was directly proportional to the age of the respondent’s children.

Not surprisingly, the younger the age of the children, the harder WFH is for parents: nearly two-thirds (60%) of parents of children between newborn and 2 years say that having kids at home made it difficult to work remotely.
For employees between the ages of 25 and 39, more than half (58.9%) reported WFH with young children was challenging. This cohort had more children under the age of 12 than any other group.
Across generations, less than half ( 41% ) said it was difficult having a child at home while working remotely.

“This research demonstrates that while working from home is preferred over commuting to an office daily, it is not without its challenges,” Powell said. “For parents of young children, whether they work at home or on-site, the juggle remains intact. How can upper management help? One easy fix is to ensure that our employees have a well-designed workspace, as well as access to the tools to succeed. We need to make decisions based on the reality that our success as a company is dependent on employees’ happiness and productivity.”

Methodology

In September, Prodoscore and Propeller Insights polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults working full time across demographics about working from home, the importance of dedicated workspaces and some of the challenges they are facing.

About Prodoscore

Prodoscore™ is a company dedicated to empowering teams to be more effective and productive, validated with improved performance and enhanced contributions. By providing visibility into employee activities through a single, easy-to-understand productivity score, a “prodoscore” is calculated to improve workforce productivity and streamline the employee experience. Prodoscore works seamlessly with cloud tools like Google Workspace, Office365, CRM systems, and VoIP calling platforms, allowing it to be quickly implemented and maintained. Learn more at prodoscore.com.

Contacts

Employee Surveillance Measures Could Threaten Trust and Increase Staff Turnover, VMware Research Finds

November 16, 2021 (updated November 16, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Rise in remote working requires new ways of monitoring performance and output but not simply through counting keystrokes and time at the desk

PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), a leading innovator in enterprise software, today shared results of a global study that revealed the rise in employee performance and trust established in new hybrid working models could be under threat from an increase in the implementation of remote monitoring measures.

The study, “The Virtual Floorplan: New Rules for a New Era of Work,” conducted by Vanson Bourne on behalf of VMware, found that 70 percent of companies surveyed have either already implemented or are planning to implement employee surveillance measures to monitor employee productivity since the shift to hybrid working. Among these organizations, the measures being taken include the monitoring of emails (44%), web browsing (41%) and collaboration tools (43%), as well as video surveillance (29%), attention tracking via webcams (28%) and keylogger software (26%). However, 39 percent of companies that have already implemented device monitoring, and 41 percent of companies who are currently in the process of doing so, are in fact seeing “drastically increased” or “increased” employee turnover.

The research findings suggest there is a delicate balance to be struck as businesses look for new ways to assess employee performance beyond presentism. From the employee perspective, three quarters (75%) agree that moving to a distributed working environment has meant that their performance – and not traditional metrics such as time spent in the office – is being valued more by their employers. And, 79 percent of employees agree that remote work technologies have enabled them to work more efficiently than before. 74% of organizations have had to develop new ways to measure employee productivity. Among these organizations, the new approach to monitoring productivity has been achieved through the use of performance-focused solutions including regular catch-ups with managers to discuss workloads (55%), assessing output and agreed deliverables (53%) and using new project management software (47%).

However, now that direct reports are not necessarily sitting a few cubicles away, employers are evolving new ways to monitor and quantify employee productivity. While approaching six in ten (59%) employees recognize their organization has had to develop new ways to monitor productivity as part of the move to hybrid working, transparency remains critical. A quarter of employees (24%) don’t know whether their organization has implemented device monitoring systems on their devices to monitor their productivity.

“Globally we are seeing organizations shift permanently to hybrid work models that don’t require knowledge workers to be office-based all the time. With this shift, employers should proceed with caution when replacing presentism with monitoring tools. Monitoring and performance are two very different things,” says Shankar Iyer, senior vice president and general manager, End-User Computing, VMware. “Digital workspace tools enable people to work from anywhere and our research shows employees are feeling more valued and trusted. A lack of transparency and measurement by ‘stealth and numbers,’ can quickly erode employee faith and lead to talent heading for the door, in a highly competitive and challenging skills market.”

Employee surveillance is one of many topics touched on in The Virtual Floorplan: New Rules for a New Era of Work. Other key findings include:

New “workplace tribes” have emerged via digital tools used by employees. The stabilization of hybrid work has resulted in a new kind of office floorplan — a “virtual floorplan,” which is based more on affinity, shared goals, and shared values than physical proximity. The virtual floorplan comes with new rules, as well as new success factors for employees, leaders, and teams. View the infographic.
We’ve entered a new era of transparency and trust. With less central control and in-person interaction, transparency and trust are emerging as vital qualities that leaders must embrace to advance and unify their organizations in a hybrid-by-default world. View the infographic.
Security is a team sport. The virtual floorplan introduces countless freedoms for employees — and just as many security risks for IT. With less direct control over apps, devices, and networks, IT is navigating a new paradigm where security is a team sport. View the infographic.

An executive summary of the study can be downloaded here.

Methodology

VMware commissioned a survey, undertaken by an independent research organization, Vanson Bourne, in July and August 2021. 7,600 respondents were surveyed globally, consisting of HR, IT and business decision makers as well as employees across IT, Manufacturing, engineering and production, Financial services, Business and professional services, Retail and wholesale, Energy, oil/gas and utilities, Distribution and transport, Public healthcare, Construction and property, Public Education, Telecommunications, Consumer services, Local government, Central government, Media leisure and entertainment, Private education, Private healthcare, Hospitality and others. All organizations surveyed have 500 or more employees globally. The countries surveyed include UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Spain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, US, Canada, Japan, Australia, India, China, Singapore and South Korea.

About VMware

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to build the future. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to building a better future through the company’s 2030 Agenda. For more information, please visit www.vmware.com/company.

Contacts

Angela Leaf, VMware Global Communications, +1 860 480 3367, aleaf@vmware.com

Survey Finds 63 Percent of Employees Lack Confidence in Their Companys Return-to-Work Strategy Up 16 Percent From Spring 2021 OutBuro lgbtq employees networking online community

Survey Finds 63% of Employees Lack Confidence in Their Company’s Return-to-Work Strategy, Up 16% From Spring 2021

November 16, 2021 (updated November 16, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Humanyze’s second 2021 Future of Work Report reveals work’s evolution during the pandemic and workforce sentiments about the post-pandemic future of the workplace

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Humanyze, a leader in workplace analytics, today released the second installment of the 2021 Future of Work Report, a holistic analysis of the evolution of work throughout the pandemic and employee sentiments about the post-pandemic future of the workplace. Nearly 2,300 survey responses were collected from individual employees and people managers, and compared to responses from the spring 2021 report, to identify key changes over the last 6 months. The findings from both surveys were then measured against data from the Humanyze Platform to compare how employees and managers feel, with how they actually work.

“Looking at subjective workforce sentiments and how work objectively gets done within organizations gives us a holistic view of the pandemic’s impacts and what this could mean for the future of work post-COVID,” said Taemie Kim, Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Humanyze. “Measuring our own analytics against these survey responses revealed that, although employees seem to be effectively adapting to remote work as the pandemic continues, many challenges and concerns remain.” At a time when employee attrition and operational resilience are top concerns for employers, the report’s latest findings further emphasize the importance of a data-driven, people-centric approach to workplace decision-making.

Biggest Challenges & What’s At Risk

When asked about their greatest work challenge during the pandemic, the top response for employees was work-life balance, followed by the lack of informal social interactions with colleagues, managers, and leadership. Managers, on the other hand, listed employee attrition and disengagement as their main hurdle, followed by decreased productivity. “A big driver of employee engagement and productivity is the ability to seamlessly interact with coworkers, which was obviously hindered after the abrupt shift to remote work in 2020,” said Ben Waber, Co-founder and President of Humanyze. “If employees feel disconnected from the organization, it ultimately seeps into disengagement with the work itself.”

After the start of the pandemic, Humanyze observed a 21% decrease in collaboration with “weak ties,” peripheral colleagues that you interact with less frequently but are essential for engagement, knowledge-sharing, and innovation. While this remains the case today, not all employee collaboration has suffered. Compared to pre-pandemic, Humanyze data shows meaningful increases in cross-level, cross-team collaboration, and communication between employees and their immediate colleagues and managers. “Interestingly, our data shows employees are changing how they work, and doing so in ways that can actually help address many of the challenges mentioned in the surveys,” said Waber. “Remote work undeniably comes with its challenges, but it’s also showing us that employees can adapt over time.”

Shaping the Post-Pandemic Future of Work

Although employees and managers seem to be adapting to remote work and collaborating more effectively since the start of the pandemic, one of the more concerning recent takeaways is an increased lack of employee confidence in their company’s future of work. Of those surveyed, 63% lack full confidence in their company’s post-pandemic workplace strategy being the right decision for employees, compared to 46% in April 2021.

Survey findings demonstrate a need for better communication and transparency from executive leadership, with over 50% of employees reporting they do not feel fully informed about their company’s post-COVID plans or how decisions get made. Around 20% of managers cited having absolutely no involvement or say, showing leaders have significant work ahead of them to achieve a more inclusive, transparent culture.

Although more than half of managers cited the use of employee surveys to understand employee preferences, 70% reported their company is not leveraging any other data or workplace technologies to inform strategies. This shows that, even in the digital age, objective data is still not a driving force for informing critical business and people decisions.

“Without effective communication or the necessary supporting data to inspire confidence in the company’s strategy, it makes perfect sense employees have these concerns and doubts,” added Waber. “As we see from our own data, employees have proven their resiliency in times of change, but leadership must establish trust in order to retain and support their people.”

What Managers and Employees Want

One key takeaway from the fall survey is that employees want continued flexibility, but still value the benefits of working with colleagues in-person. Although the majority of employees remain open to going back to the office in some capacity and listed in-person collaboration with colleagues and leaders as their top reason for doing so, 37% continue to agree they’d prefer to not go in at all.

When asked about their preferences in a hybrid work scenario, employees and managers both expressed a desire for thoughtfully-planned coordination. Forty percent of employees would want a fixed return-to-office schedule where they see the same people each time, while 45% of managers also ranked a fixed schedule as their top preference.

“Companies must realize, every team is different,” said Kim. “While a universally equal policy from the top down might sound best, and may be easiest, it impacts groups differently. Where it works for some, it fails for others. Therefore, manager input and employee surveys combined with leveraging available data and tools are critical to correctly identifying individual teams’ best working styles for post-pandemic planning.”

Behind the Survey & Data

In October 2021, Humanyze collected responses from nearly 1,000 managers and 1,265 employees through a third-party provider and compared these findings to results from the first 2021 Future of Work installment released in April. In spring 2021, only employees were surveyed, whereas the fall survey included both employees and people managers.

Survey findings were then measured against data from the Humanyze Platform, which leverages decades of MIT Research and billions of anonymous workplace interactions from large global companies to measure how, where, and with whom work gets done.

To learn about the report findings and hear from industry experts as they discuss the Future of Work, join Humanyze alongside thought leaders from Nike and Co3 for a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 17th. To attend, register here.

To download the complete Fall 2021 Future of Work Report, visit humanyze.com/report-2021-fall-future-of-work/.

About Humanyze

Humanyze is a leading global provider of workplace analytics solutions, helping business leaders improve organizational effectiveness, a critical driver of financial performance. Enterprises use the Humanyze Platform’s data-driven benchmarks, indicators, and metrics within the categories of employee engagement, team productivity, and organizational adaptability, to inform and accelerate better management, HR, and workplace decisions. Founded in 2011 out of the MIT Media Lab, we offer an award-winning, patented AI platform with varying solutions that address today’s most pressing business challenges. These science-backed insights empower companies to confidently make decisions and continuously measure their impacts for ongoing improvements in the areas of Workplace Strategy and Organizational Health. Humanyze is committed to core values of data privacy for all employees and ensures 100% anonymity by design. We have a global presence spanning the US, Europe, and Asia and are on a mission to improve the Future of Work.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Giuliana Sannella

Matter Communications for Humanyze

humanyze@matternow.com

BAI Survey of Financial Services Employees Shows Over a Third Feel the Pandemic Has Had a Negative Impact on Their Mental Health

November 16, 2021 (updated November 16, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Recent research by BAI, a nonprofit independent organization that delivers the financial services industry’s most actionable insights, reveals that while employees’ work/life balance has improved during the pandemic, their mental and physical health and work load have been negatively affected. HR leaders are taking note and looking at ways to preserve the positive impacts of the pandemic work environment, while helping employees work through the personal challenges they are facing.

BAI surveyed more than 250 financial services employees to better understand how the pandemic had affected their personal and professional lives. While the results on work/life balance were positive, the research showed a negative 37% net impact on mental health, a negative 13% net impact on physical health and a negative 22% net impact on workload.

“Increased remote work arrangements with more flexibility in where and when employees work has predictably had a positive impact on work/life balance,” said Karl Dahlgren, managing director at BAI. “However, for the long-term health and engagement of their employees, it is important for financial services leaders to better understand and act on other negative impacts from the pandemic.”

BAI hosted a Fireside Chat Webinar, “The Impact of the Pandemic on Financial Services Leaders,” to walk through the study and discuss how leaders can help employees with things like mental health and workload challenges. Participants included Catherine Garret, Senior Vice President, HR Operations, Technology and Compliance at Comerica Bank, and Dannielle Brown, Head of Employee Experience at M&T Bank. Moderated by Holly Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer at BAI, the discussion included real examples of how the participants are working to help their employees during these transitional times, including extending mental health services, monitoring employee workloads through analytics, and creating manager resources to help employees transition back to the office. The webinar was published November 9 and can be accessed on demand.

About BAI

As a nonprofit, independent organization, BAI has delivered the financial services industry’s most actionable insights for more than 95 years, helping leaders make smart business decisions every day. We provide in-depth, proprietary research to more than 40 of the top US banks, support more than 2,100 financial services organizations with compliance and professional development training, provide trusted, relevant thought leadership through BAI Banking Strategies reports, podcasts and webinars, and offer specialized events and programs. For more information, visit www.bai.org.

Contacts

Kendall Carwile

William Mills Agency

678-781-7224

kendall@williammills.com

BioSpace Releases Inaugural Best Places to Work in Biopharma Report

November 16, 2021 (updated November 16, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BioSpace, the leader in biopharma news and careers has today published its inaugural Best Places to Work report.

The 2022 Best Places to Work in Biopharma report included responses from over 2,000 professionals from the biopharma industry to identify which companies are currently the most sought-after in the industry.

A total of 60 employers have been recognized as Best Places to Work, with 30 ranked in large (defined as more than 1,000 employees) and small (less than 1,000 employees) employer categories respectively.

“The biopharma industry has been experiencing a huge amount of both global appreciation and scrutiny. BioSpace felt it was important to recognize not only what these companies do for world health, but how they support the incredible industry professionals they employ,” said BioSpace CEO Josh Goodwin. “It’s important to highlight companies, like those on this list, that are doing things right in the eyes of their own community.”

Moderna, creator of one of three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the US, was ranked as the number one most desirable large employer. Pfizer, Genentech, Amgen and Abbvie rounded out the top five large employers list.

CRISPR Therapeutics, leader in gene editing, gene sequencing and genetic testing, came out on top for small employers. 23andMe, 10x Genomics, Agios Pharmaceuticals and Intellia Therapeutics completed the top five small employers list.

Additionally, the report identifies the most valued employer attributes. Career growth and development was rated most highly, followed by leadership and pay.

To view the complete lists of 2022 Best Places to Work, click here.

About the Survey

Conducted in September 2021, research included responses from over 2,000 life sciences professionals. Respondents were asked to identify their top three most desirable biopharma companies, segmented by large (more than 1,000+ employees) and small (less than 1,000 employees) companies. Respondents were also asked to rate the importance of 10 attributes (i.e. pay, benefits, etc.) when thinking of top employers.

About BioSpace

BioSpace is the leading source for careers and news for life sciences professionals in the United States. Since 1985, BioSpace has provided essential insights, opportunities and tools to connect innovative life sciences organizations and talented professionals who advance health and quality of life across the world.

Contacts

Chantal Dresner

Marketing Director, BioSpace

chantal.dresner@biospace.com

Skillsoft’s Global Knowledge Skills and Salary Report Finds Three in Four IT Departments Face Critical Skills Gaps

November 11, 2021 (updated November 11, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Gaps in IT staff skills causing increased stress levels and decreased productivity within organizations

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#LandD—Skillsoft (NYSE:SKIL), a global leader in corporate digital learning, today released its annual Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report, exploring the current state of skills gaps, training and development, compensation, and job satisfaction in the IT industry. Based on responses from more than 9,300 IT professionals, the report found that 76 percent of IT decision makers worldwide are facing critical skills gaps in their departments – a 145 percent increase since 2016. While still a significant challenge, this represents the second consecutive year of slight improvement (79 percent in 2019, 78 percent in 2020).

“Today’s digital-first economy has presented significant opportunities for organizations. However, it has also created a dire need for new skills in cloud computing, cybersecurity, AI, DevOps, and many other critical tech areas,” said Michael Yoo, General Manager, Technology & Developer, Skillsoft. “Gaps in skills don’t just disappear, they only grow wider if not properly addressed. While it is encouraging to see early signs of closing the gap, work is far from done. Organizations must place a bigger emphasis on investing in employee training, empowering professionals to earn new certifications, and filling vacant roles with diverse candidates.”

To continue closing the skills gap, understanding the reasons behind it, and its impact, is critical. As digital transformation accelerates, 38 percent of IT decision makers cited the rate of technology change outpacing their existing skills development programs as the primary driver, followed by difficulty in attracting qualified candidates (35 percent) and lack of investment in training resources (32 percent). In addition to the direct effect these gaps have on organizations’ bottom lines – IDC predicts the financial impact growing to $6.5 trillion worldwide by 2025¹ – respondents also said they increase employee stress (55 percent), make it difficult to meet quality and business objectives (42 percent and 36 percent, respectively), and create project delays (35 percent), among other challenges.

Of note, organizations are increasingly recognizing the role that professional development plays in combatting skills gaps and raising employee morale and retention, with 56 percent of IT decision makers saying they have a plan in place to train existing team members. And, given that 80 percent of IT professionals report a myriad of benefits after achieving new skills and certifications – including improved quality of work (49 percent), higher levels of engagement (32 percent), and faster job performance (27 percent) – providing upskilling opportunities is a win-win for both organizations and employees alike.

Additional takeaways from the Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary report include:

IT staff crave learning and development and will move on if they are not getting it.
- For the third consecutive year, respondents that switched employers within the past year cited a lack of growth and development opportunities as their top reason for doing so (59 percent), taking precedence over better compensation (39 percent) and work/life balance (31 percent).
- When training, 66 percent of respondents said they prefer a formal, instructor-led approach, while the remaining third gravitate toward informal, peer-to-peer methods, underscoring the value of providing personalized and blended learning experiences.
Salaries are on the rise and opportunities exist for even bigger paychecks.
- The average annual salary for IT professionals has increased across all regions. Aside from executives and those in sales, the higher-paying positions are in cloud, risk management, security, and IT architecture and design.
- 52 percent of respondents said they received a raise in the past year, attributing the increase to a variety of factors including job performance, developing new skills, and obtaining industry certifications.
More IT professionals are certified than ever and are boosting the bottom line.
- 92 percent of all respondents said they have at least one certification, a 5 percent and 7 percent increase compared to 2020 and 2019, respectively.
  - 64 percent of IT decision makers say certified employees deliver $10,000 or more in added annual value compared to non-certified team members, demonstrating the positive impact that investment in training has on organizations’ bottom lines.

Resources:

^{1 – IDC, IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future of Work 2022 Predictions, Doc. #US47290521, October 2021}

Research Methodology

The 2021 IT Skills and Salary Survey was conducted online from November 2020 through February 2021, yielding more than 9,300 responses globally from IT decision makers and staff. Distributed by Global Knowledge, technology companies, and industry associations around the world, the survey was made available in web articles, online newsletters, and social media, and tabulated using the Qualtrics XM Platform.

About Skillsoft

Skillsoft (NYSE:SKIL) is a global leader in corporate digital learning, focused on transforming today’s workforce for tomorrow’s economy. The Company provides enterprise learning solutions designed to prepare organizations for the future of work, overcome critical skill gaps, drive demonstrable behavior-change, and unlock the potential in their people. Skillsoft offers a comprehensive suite of premium, original, and authorized partner content, including one of the broadest and deepest libraries of leadership & business skills, technology & developer, and compliance curricula. With access to a broad spectrum of learning options (including video, audio, books, bootcamps, live events, and practice labs), organizations can meaningfully increase learner engagement and retention. Skillsoft’s offerings are delivered through Percipio, its award-winning, AI-driven, immersive learning platform purpose built to make learning easier, more accessible, and more effective. Learn more at www.skillsoft.com.

Contacts

Investors
James Gruskin

james.gruskin@skillsoft.com

Media
Caitlin Leddy

caitlin.leddy@skillsoft.com

Less than Half of U.S. Workers Believe New Vaccine Mandates Will Be Enforced, Qualtrics Study Finds

November 4, 2021 (updated November 4, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

55% of people say they will consider reporting a coworker for violating a vaccine mandate

—

Companies are at risk of losing employees with 75% of unvaccinated workers saying they are considering leaving their current place of employment when mandates go into effect

PROVO, Utah & SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–New research from Qualtrics (Nasdaq: XM) reveals that less than half of U.S. workers believe their employers or the government will effectively enforce federal vaccine mandates. Even though a majority of employees (58%) support President Biden’s proposed vaccine requirements, which are meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, just 49% believe the federal government will be able to effectively enforce them for private companies. The full results of the study can be found here.

While federal vaccine mandates are still in final review, 60% of employees say vaccine mandates or discussion about them have caused contention at their place of work. Employees say that conversations around vaccinations are affecting company culture and productivity in the form of decreased trust among coworkers and managers, and the formation of groups or cliques. Once the mandates are enforced, division may become an even bigger problem for workplace culture as 55% of employees say they would consider reporting a coworker to OSHA for violating a vaccine mandate.

Still, most (58%) of unvaccinated workers are not afraid of losing their jobs if they don’t comply with vaccine rules. Only 12% say the risk of being fired would convince them to get the vaccine anyway. On the other hand, at a time when retention is a top priority for business leaders experiencing the effects of The Great Resignation, 75% of unvaccinated people say they would consider leaving their jobs if vaccine mandates are put into place. If unvaccinated workers do find themselves out of a job, 13% say they will retire or take a break from work, potentially adding to the current labor shortage. Larger percentages however will look for new jobs — 22% at smaller companies and 32% at companies with over 100 employees that are not as strict about vaccination.

“In order for these rules to be most effective, people have to trust that they will be enforced. This will be a challenge for leaders as they roll out new vaccine requirements,” said Sydney Heimbrock, Chief Industry Advisor for Government, Qualtrics. “It’s crucial that employers understand and anticipate how their workers will react to new policies. The way in which organizations roll out their strategies, and how they are listening to their employees, are crucial to success and to preventing unwanted turnover.”

More key findings:

Politics may influence company policies: 84% of employees say politics affect their company’s vaccine, mask and testing policies — with 42% saying politics has a negative impact on company decision making and 22% saying it has a positive impact.
Unvaccinated people are unlikely to be swayed by federal mandates: Only 7% of unvaccinated people say a law or executive order would motivate them to get the vaccine, and 52% of unvaccinated people say mandates would make them less likely to get vaccinated.
Tech employees are most supportive of federal mandates: 74% of tech and IT workers support the proposed federal vaccine mandates, and government workers are the least supportive at 51%. 56% of healthcare workers, 54% of retail employees and 54% of those employed in the Travel, Hospitality and Food industries support all of the mandates the Biden Administration has announced.
Most employees feel comfortable talking about their vaccine status with coworkers: 53% feel comfortable talking about their vaccination status with coworkers vs. 25% who feel uncomfortable. The main reason people feel uncomfortable is “it’s personal information.”
Employees are split on enforcement: 42% of employees want their company leadership to enforce federal vaccine mandates, while 39% do not want them to enforce the new regulations.

Methodology

This study was fielded between Oct. 12 and Oct. 15, 2021. Respondents were selected from a randomized panel and considered eligible if they live in the United States, are at least 18 years of age and are employed full time or part time. The total number of respondents was 1,309. Respondents who did not pass quality standards were removed.

For the full results of this study, please visit: http://qualtrics.com/blog/fall-vaccine-research-2021

To learn more about Qualtrics’ Vaccination and Testing manager, click here.

About Qualtrics

Qualtrics, the leader and creator of the Experience Management (XM) category, is changing the way organizations manage and improve the four core experiences of business—customer, employee, product and brand. Over 13,500 organizations around the world use Qualtrics to listen, understand and take action on experience data (X-data™)—the beliefs, emotions and intentions that tell you why things are happening, and what to do about it. The Qualtrics XM Platform™ is a system of action that helps businesses attract customers who stay longer and buy more, engage employees who build a positive culture, develop breakthrough products people love and build a brand people are passionate about. To learn more, please visit qualtrics.com.

Contacts

Press Contact
Erica Evans

press@qualtrics.com

Nearly 2-in-5 Hospitality Workers Considering or Have Plans to Leave Their Job in the Next Two Months

November 4, 2021 (updated November 4, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Medallia Zingle report finds a quarter of global hospitality employees say their employee experience has suffered since the return to travel.

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–New research released today by Medallia, Inc., the global leader in customer and employee experience, reveals that 38% of hospitality workers say they’re considering or already have plans to leave their jobs in the next two months. This and other insights are available in the full report, Global Staffing Report: Employee Experience Impacts Hospitality, released today by Medallia Zingle, the leading intelligent messaging provider used by some of the world’s biggest hospitality brands.

For the report, Medallia surveyed more than 1,250 travel and hospitality workers from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain & Germany. Findings reveal major challenges affecting the hospitality industry today, including how the return to travel is impacting workers’ job satisfaction, their employee experience, and their relationships with guests.

With hospitality’s historic staffing shortage well-reported, the report’s uncovering that nearly two-fifths of global hospitality workers plan to leave their jobs by the end of the year — and that 59% of organizations are working with less staff now than they did prior to the pandemic — hints at a challenging holiday season ahead for brands across the world. In fact, the study found that while 67% of workers report that their organization is experiencing increased guest activity since the return to travel, nearly half (48%) say their employers’ handling of it has been “Just OK.”

This is worrying news at a crucial juncture in the industry’s reopening, but illustrates the opportunity that exists for brands to better equip their teams to handle the upcoming travel surge, and address the industry’s staffing crisis.

“All industries have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, but the travel and hospitality sector has experienced a particularly significant impact on its operations,” said Ford Blakely, founder, senior vice president and general manager of Medallia Zingle. “And while it’s concerning that a significant amount of workers are considering or already have plans to leave their jobs before the end of the year, brands have a massive opportunity to adopt technology and communication strategies that allow their employees to do more with less and create a more empowered and engaged workforce that’s enthusiastic about providing their guests with a best-in-class experience.”

Additional highlights from the report include:

US’ Struggles Higher Than Global Average: 68% of U.S. hospitality workers say their organization is working with less staff now than they did prior to the pandemic.
- Top 3 reasons globally: “health and safety concerns,” “lack of job security,” and because “workers obtained new jobs during the shutdown.”

Little Payoff for Employees: 61% of hospitality workers across the globe say their roles are harder and less rewarding since the onset of the pandemic.

Employee Experience Takes a Hit: A quarter (24%) of employees say that their employee experience has gotten worse and that they feel less engaged.
- Additionally, 27% say that the customer experience they are providing has also gotten worse since the onset of the pandemic.

Hiring Woes Persist: More than half (52%) of hospitality employees across the globe say that hiring talent has been an issue for their organization.
- Top 3 reasons: “not enough qualified applicants,” “lack of resources to offer competitive pay or benefits,” and “lack of flexibility/remote options.”

Medallia Zingle’s full “Global Staffing Report: Employee Experience Impacts Hospitality” report can be downloaded here.

About Medallia

Medallia is the pioneer and market leader in customer, employee, citizen and patient experience. The company’s award-winning SaaS platform, Medallia Experience Cloud, is becoming the experience system of record that makes all other applications customer and employee aware. The platform captures billions of experience signals across interactions including all voice, video, digital, IoT, social media and corporate messaging tools. Medallia uses proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to automatically reveal predictive insights that drive powerful business actions and outcomes. Medallia customers reduce churn, turn detractors into promoters and buyers, create in-the-moment cross-sell and up-sell opportunities and drive revenue-impacting business decisions, providing clear and potent returns on investment. For more information visit www.medallia.com.

© 2021 Medallia, Inc. All rights reserved. Medallia®, the Medallia logo, and the names and marks associated with Medallia’s products are trademarks of Medallia. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contacts

PR Contact:
Eric Stoessel

press@medallia.com

IR Contact:
Carolyn Bass

ir@medallia.com

New Hires During the Pandemic Report Feeling Disconnected From Colleagues

October 29, 2021 (updated October 29, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Personality Tests Could Help Bridge the Digital Divide Separating CoWorkers

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Employees who started new jobs remotely during the pandemic are gradually adapting to the evolving fully remote and hybrid work environments, but many are struggling to make meaningful connections with colleagues, according to a recent survey of HR professionals conducted by Principles at the 2021 HR Tech Conference.

Ninety-four percent of HR professionals surveyed revealed they have onboarded new employees during the pandemic who have only interacted with their colleagues virtually and have not met anyone in person. Of these, 31 percent reported that while new hires are adapting in some respects, they are struggling to make connections with their coworkers. More alarming, 10 percent were unsure how these new hires were adapting in a virtual environment – highlighting a concerning disconnect between HR executives and the employees they onboard.

Onboarding and Remote Operating Strategies Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic

When asked about pandemic and future operating models, the survey found that:

Pandemic Operating Models: 44 percent of respondents’ companies operated fully remote throughout the pandemic; 36 percent followed an optional remote/in-office format; and 15 percent followed a mandated hybrid model.
Future Operating Models: 49 percent of respondents are adopting an optional remote/in-office model for the future; 23 percent will be fully remote moving forward; and 19 percent will have a mandated hybrid model. Only six percent are requiring all employees to be on-site in the office.

“While workplaces quickly adapted to remote work at the start of the pandemic, no one was prepared for how long the pandemic would last and the permanent impact it would have on the workplace,” said Jeff Taylor, GM and Chief Customer Officer at Principles. “When hiring picked back up, HR professionals were faced with the challenge of welcoming new employees and integrating them into the company culture without ever meeting in person. The survey shows that we are now dealing with a workforce that is disconnected and disengaged due to the challenges of remote onboarding and operating. HR professionals need to find a way to fill in this gap or else they will run the risk of increased turnover at their organizations.”

As the majority of companies will operate with some remote work moving forward, the survey highlights the necessity for managers to be more aware of the disconnects that can occur in a remote or hybrid workplace between co-workers and the need to leverage new tools and strategies to help employees build better relationships.

Using Personality Assessments to Improve Employee Retention & Engagement

To gauge how companies have been dealing with this disconnect, the survey asked respondents if they have utilized personality assessments in the workplace for team building and management purposes. The survey found that:

54 percent of respondents believe that personality assessments help people understand their strengths and areas where they might improve, and;
48 percent said that they allow you to build better teams, however;
62 percent of those same respondents’ companies don’t utilize personality assessments.

“The truth is that employees feel disconnected, and companies are struggling to find compelling new ways to improve communication, engagement, and team-building to address this disconnect,” said Taylor. “Looking to the future, if organizations want to recruit and retain top talent, they should consider leveraging data-enabled tools to gain deeper insights into employee’s approaches to work, which can help to assemble the best teams and identify the most optimal staffing structures. Using Principles’ tools, organizations can empower all their employees – from CEOs to new entrants – to better understand themselves, understand others, and help others understand them.”

About Principles

Principles is a people management software company that offers an integrated suite of enterprise tools to help organizations improve employee, team and company performance. Its most recently launched product, PrinciplesUs, is a best-in-class personality assessment that provides deep insights into what individuals and teams are like, and how team members can use that understanding to improve their relationships and the ways in which they interact. Learn more at http://www.PrinciplesUs.com.

Contacts

Breanna King

Prosek Partners

pro-principles@prosek.com

Mercer Survey: The Great Resignation or The Great Reckoning?

October 27, 2021 (updated October 27, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Employees have left their employers at record rates this year. Looking ahead, new survey findings indicate that this will continue for certain segments of the workforce and become more stable for others.
Pandemic caused frontline, low-wage, minority and lower-level employees to consider leaving their employers at rates significantly higher than historical norms, according to new Mercer survey.

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The pandemic has highlighted a stark divide in how different demographics experience work, according to Mercer’s 2021 Inside Employees’ Minds study that surveyed over 2,000 US-based employees on what has been termed “The Great Resignation.” The findings showed that attraction and retention challenges are likely to continue in certain segments of the workforce, where there is a disconnect between what employees want and what employers are offering. While the “Great Resignation” implies a mass exodus of workers across demographics, a “Great Reckoning” signifies that only particular groups of workers – those who feel their employers are not meeting their needs – are considering leaving their job.

Only 28% of respondents reported they were considering leaving their current employer, which is consistent with historical patterns – typically about 3 in 10 workers are considering leaving at any given point. However, certain groups are experiencing work much differently than others; frontline, low-wage, minority and lower-level employees are more likely to leave, at rates significantly higher than historical norms (see figure 1).

“In many organizations, frontline and lower-level employees have been underinvested in and not considered a priority. Wages have historically stagnated behind inflation as employers competed to hire these workers at the lowest possible cost. But the pandemic has shown that this same group of workers not only kept business afloat, but were critical in keeping our nation running,” said Melissa Swift, Mercer US Transformation Leader. “Employers now need to think differently about frontline and lower-level workers and deliver a compelling value proposition that addresses their needs.”

A component of this survey was to understand what employees’ top concerns are, both inside and outside of work. The findings show that, among all demographics, concerns over the Delta variant have pushed physical health to the top of the list. Second on the list is work-life balance and workload – employees say burnout is a key reason for them to consider leaving their employer, behind pay and benefits. Mental health is the third top concern amongst all demographics, but it is most pronounced amongst younger workers, women, low wage workers and Black and African American employees.

According to the survey, low wage workers – employees making less than $60k annually – are more worried about covering monthly expenses, physical and mental health, and financial wellness (retirement and debt). Higher wage workers are most worried about their health, work/life balance and personal fulfillment and purpose. In the survey, women were much more likely to be low wage workers than men (61% vs. 39%). These findings demonstrate the divide in the workforce and how employees on the lower-end of the wage spectrum have very different experiences at work and require different support to meet their individual needs.

The survey also found significant differences in the concerns of workers across ethnicity groups – for Black and African American workers in particular. Black workers rated personal safety above all other concerns, well ahead of other minority groups. Concerns over physical safety are in response to both systemic and emboldened racism stemming from events such as the capitol insurgency and racial violence, as well as psychological safety at work as Black workers are more likely to experience micro aggressions or retaliation at work.

Four key considerations to help employers navigate the hyper-competitive labor market

Prioritize hourly, front-line and low-wage workforces. Employers need to focus on how they can enhance the economic stability of their workforce and make frontline/hourly jobs more attractive – perks and other benefits won’t matter if these employees can’t address basic needs. Pay is one priority employers should consider, as well as other benefits that enhance the take home pay of this workforce, such as affordable healthcare and resources to enhance their financial wellness such as retirement savings programs and budgeting tools.

Burnout is a major issue and employees are struggling with mental health. Mercer’s 2021 Health on Demand research found while 59% of US employees say they feel some level of stress, one-quarter report being highly or extremely stressed. Offering a diverse set of wellbeing and mental health benefits will help manage a number of people risks, including employee exhaustion, rising health costs and employee turnover.

Make sure your company is a place where Black employees feel safe, accepted and able to be their authentic selves. Organizations must move beyond attracting diverse talent, to ensuring their systems and structures within the organization enable them to thrive. Examining your data to understand where the experience is falling short is a great place to start. Another powerful action employers can take is to train and equip managers to be strong allies to these employees. Managers who can confidently identify and stand up against workplace inequities and micro-aggressions are in the best position to increase levels of inclusion and safety.

Flexibility remains critical. With work/life balance ranking second as an employee top concern across all demographics, flexibility is a top priority and a necessity for most employees, and employers who fail to embrace this new reality are likely to face continued challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.

“Given the challenges that employees have faced on the front lines of this pandemic over the summer, and through the social unrest that we saw last year – employees are saying, in many cases due to what they are paid in low wage jobs, it’s just not worth it. And they are looking for more from their employer,” added Swift.

About Mercer

Mercer believes in building brighter futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. Mercer’s approximately 25,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm operates in 130 countries. Mercer is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with 81,000 colleagues and annual revenue of over $19 billion. Through its market-leading businesses including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit mercer.com. Follow Mercer on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contacts

Micaela McPadden
201-694-9719

Micaela.mcpadden@mercer.com

Tag: Employee Study

Working From Home Is the New Must-Have Benefit Employees Are Seeking, Prodoscore Research Confirms

Employee Surveillance Measures Could Threaten Trust and Increase Staff Turnover, VMware Research Finds

Survey Finds 63% of Employees Lack Confidence in Their Company’s Return-to-Work Strategy, Up 16% From Spring 2021

BAI Survey of Financial Services Employees Shows Over a Third Feel the Pandemic Has Had a Negative Impact on Their Mental Health

BioSpace Releases Inaugural Best Places to Work in Biopharma Report

Skillsoft’s Global Knowledge Skills and Salary Report Finds Three in Four IT Departments Face Critical Skills Gaps

Less than Half of U.S. Workers Believe New Vaccine Mandates Will Be Enforced, Qualtrics Study Finds

Nearly 2-in-5 Hospitality Workers Considering or Have Plans to Leave Their Job in the Next Two Months

New Hires During the Pandemic Report Feeling Disconnected From Colleagues

Mercer Survey: The Great Resignation or The Great Reckoning?

is affiliate/influencer income open to all?

what can i do in groups?

how do i upgrade/change my account?

how can i participate and remain private?

i want to know about the affiliate/Influencer program

Anonymous & Free Support for Caregivers

can i be my full self on outbüro?

men’s only groups

women’s only groups

content categories

recent members

recent media

community hashtags