Research from Workday Finds European Workers Eager to Make Up For Lost Career Opportunities
Workday, Inc., a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, released the initial findings of its European Survey “The Employee Outlook: Understanding Employee Sentiment and Priorities Across Europe” that reveals European workers are worried about the impact the pandemic is having on their careers. For some, the abrupt shift to home working means they have lost vital opportunities to gain new responsibilities and skills.
Workday partnered with Yonder Consulting (formerly Populus), a research and strategy consultancy, to conduct the quantitative study across Europe. Yonder surveyed more than 17,000 workers who were below director level and employed by organisations with more than 250 employees in nine European markets.
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Key highlights of the survey include:
- Employees remain positive about leadership through uncertain times, with leaders in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK viewed most favourably by employees
- Almost half of employees (44%) in the UK, Spain, and Italy report they have missed opportunities to gain new responsibilities and skills
- Just over a quarter of employees (26%) believe they have lost opportunities to develop their career, including 47% of 18-34 year-olds who are concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on their workplace opportunities
The research also revealed 25% of employees will look to change jobs in the next twelve months, hoping to find better career development, a more interesting role, and improved salary. Only 12% say their desire to change jobs has been driven by their employer’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, however.
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Despite pandemic pressures, 30% of employees still believe they will receive a pay rise in the next year, though those from Spain and Italy are least hopeful with only 23% and 18% respectively believing they will be in line for a salary increase. This compares to Sweden where over half of respondents (52%) believe their salary will increase. A competitive salary is the most motivating factor when searching for a new role across all markets, with 54% saying they would not be willing to reduce their salary for more flexible working conditions.
Workday is helping HR leaders across the world to navigate the return to the workplace and lead in this dynamic environment. This includes the ability to evaluate the readiness of the workforce and workplace for reopening based on employee sentiment and eligibility. In addition, organisations can use Workday to personalise the employee experience and provide career development suggestions for every employee, based on knowledge of a worker’s skills and career interests, as well as the skills that are critical to the organisation.
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