A global research study finds that 78% of people felt their companies were more concerned about their mental health now than before the pandemic. Also, 78% of people feel “stuck” professionally and personally (77%) and 90% say their meaning of success has changed since the pandemic started. Moreover, 89% of people want technology to help define their futures. The study was conducted by Oracle and Workplace Intelligence, an HR research and advisory firm.
The study of more than 14,600 employees, managers, HR leaders, and C-level executives across 13 countries found that people all around the world have felt stuck in their personal and professional lives but are ready to regain control of their futures.
Over 6,000 respondents joined this global study from Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.
The study finds that more than a year in lockdown and the continued uncertainty due to the pandemic has left many workers in emotional turmoil, feeling like their lives and careers are out of control. Still, companies are taking note and are taking steps to protect their employees’ mental health.
A majority of respondents (80 percent) have been negatively impacted by the last year, with many struggling financially, suffering from declining mental health, lacking career motivation, feeling lonelier and feeling disconnected from their own lives.
However, on the upside, the majority (78 percent) also felt that their companies were more concerned with protecting their mental health now than before the pandemic.
The study reveals that people are motivated to make changes but are facing significant challenges. Despite struggles over the last year, people in Asia-Pacific are eager to make changes in their professional lives.
The results show that 93 percent of people used the past year to reflect on their lives and 90 percent said the meaning of success has changed for them since the pandemic.
The study suggests that to retain and grow top talent amidst changing workplace dynamics, employers need to pay attention to employee needs more than ever before and leverage technology to provide better support.
The study disclosed that 89 percent of people want technology to help define their future by recommending ways to learn new skills, identifying skills they need to develop and providing the following steps to progress towards career goals.
Interestingly, 82 percent of people would make life changes based on robot recommendations and 88 percent believe robots can support their careers better than a human by giving unbiased recommendations delivering resources tailored to their current skills or goals or quickly answering questions about their job.
Dan Schawbel, managing partner, Workplace Intelligence, said that “the past year and a half changed how we work including where we work and, for a lot of people, who we work for. While there have been a lot of challenges for both employees and employers, this has been an opportunity to change the workplace for the better,”
Commenting on the study’s findings, Shaakun Khanna, Head of HCM Cloud Applications Strategy, Asia Pacific, Oracle, said that “the pandemic has set a new course for the future of work. Surprisingly, employees are feeling more empowered despite feeling stuck in their lives, anxious about their future, trapped in the same routine, and more lonely than ever before.
“With these changing priorities, organisations need to do more to attract and retain talent. They need to double down their efforts to help employees identify and develop new skills, and provide personalised career journeys to put them in control of their careers once again.” Shaakun added.
—