AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- People are
turning to robots to support their career development after the
COVID-19 pandemic left them feeling lonely and disconnected from
their own lives, according to a new study 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.
The global workforce feels lonely, disconnected, and out of
control
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.
- 80 percent of people have been negatively impacted by the last
year, with many struggling financially (29 percent); suffering from
declining mental health (28 percent); lacking career motivation (25
percent); and feeling disconnected from their own lives (23
percent).
- 62 percent found 2021 to be the most stressful year at work
ever. More than half (52 percent) of people struggled with mental
health at work more in 2021 than in 2020.
- The amount of people who feel little to no control over their
personal and professional lives doubled since the start of the
pandemic. People noted they have lost control over their
futures (43 percent); personal lives (46 percent); careers (41
percent); and relationships (39 percent).
- 76 percent of people feel stuck in their personal lives,
feeling anxiety about their future (31 percent); trapped in the
same routine (27 percent); and more loneliness than ever before (26
percent).
People are motivated to make changes, but are facing big
challenges
Despite struggles over the last year, people
around the world are eager to make changes in their professional
lives.
- 93 percent of people used the past year to reflect on their
lives and 88 percent said the meaning of success has changed for
them since the pandemic, with work-life balance (42 percent);
mental health (37 percent); and workplace flexibility (33 percent)
now top priorities.
- 75 percent feel stuck professionally, because they don't have
growth opportunities to progress their career (25 percent) and are
too overwhelmed to make any changes (22 percent).
- 70 percent of people say feeling stuck in their career has
negatively impacted their personal lives as well by adding extra
stress and anxiety (40 percent); contributing to feeling stuck
personally (29 percent); and taking focus away from their personal
lives (27 percent).
- 83 percent of people are ready to make a change, but 76 percent
said they are facing major obstacles. The biggest hurdles include
financial instability (22 percent); not knowing what career change
makes sense for them (20 percent); not feeling confident enough to
make a change (20 percent); and seeing no growth opportunities at
their company (20 percent).
- Going into 2022, professional development is top of mind with
many willing to give up key benefits such as vacation time (52
percent); monetary bonuses (51 percent); and even part of their
salary (43 percent) for more career opportunities.
- However, 85 percent of the global workforce are not satisfied
with their employer's support. They are looking for organizations
to provide more learning and skills development (34 percent);
higher salaries (31 percent); and opportunities for new roles
within their company (30 percent).
Employees around the world are hungry for new skills and
turning to technology for help
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.
- 85 percent of people want technology to help define their
future by identifying skills they need to develop (36 percent);
recommending ways to learn new skills (36 percent); and providing
next steps to progress towards career goals (32 percent).
- 75 percent of people would make life changes based on robot
recommendations.
- 82 percent believe robots can support their careers better than
a human by giving unbiased recommendations (37 percent); quickly
answering questions about their career (33 percent); or finding new
jobs that fit their current skills (32 percent).
- People believe humans still have a critical role to play in
career development and believe humans are better at providing
support by offering advice based on personal experience (46
percent); identifying strengths and weaknesses (44 percent); and
looking beyond a resume to recommend roles that fit personalities
(41 percent).
- 87 percent of people believe their company should be doing more
to listen to their needs and 55 percent are more likely to stay
with a company that uses advanced technologies like AI to support
career growth.
Supporting Quotes:
"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," said
Dan Schawbel, managing partner,
Workplace Intelligence. "The results clearly show that investment
in skills and career development is now a key differentiator for
employers as it plays a significant role in employees feeling like
they have control over their personal and professional lives.
Businesses that invest in their employees and help them find
opportunities will reap the benefits of a productive, engaged
workforce."
"The last year set a new course for the future of work.
Surprisingly, amongst the stress, anxiety, and loneliness of the
global pandemic, employees found their voice, became more
empowered, and are now speaking up for what they want," said
Yvette Cameron, senior vice
president, Oracle Cloud HCM. "The evolving nature of the workplace
shifted the way people think about success and reset people's
expectations for how organizations can best support them. To
attract and retain talent, businesses need to place a higher
priority on helping employees identify and develop new skills and
provide personalized career journeys so they can feel in control of
their careers again."
Learn more about this global report here:
https://www.oracle.com/human-capital-management/ai-at-work/
Methodology
Research findings are based on a survey
conducted by Savanta, Inc. across the US, the UK, the UAE,
France, the Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, India, Japan,
South Korea, Singapore and Australia between July
27 – August 17, 2021. For this
survey, 14,639 C-suite executives, HR leaders, managers and
full-time employees were asked general questions about the impact
of COVID-19 on the workplace, AI and career development, and AI
adoption at the workplace. The study targeted full-time employees
who are 22 to 74 years of age. Respondents were recruited through a
number of different mechanisms, via different sources to join the
panels and participate in market research surveys. All panelists
have passed a double opt-in process and complete on average 300
profiling data points prior to taking part in surveys. Respondents
are invited to take part via email and are provided with a small
monetary incentive for doing so. Results of any sample are subject
to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable
and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the
percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the
chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or
minus, by more than 0.8 percentage points from the result that
would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons
in the universe represented by the sample.
About Workplace Intelligence
Workplace Intelligence,
LLC is an HR research and advisory firm helping leaders adapt to
trends, drive performance, and prepare for the future. Our mission
is to create more intelligent workplaces using data-based insights.
For more information please visit workplaceintelligence.com and
read the Workplace Intelligence Insider Newsletter.
About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of
applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle
Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit
us at oracle.com.
Trademarks
Oracle, Java, and MySQL are registered
trademarks of Oracle Corporation.
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SOURCE Oracle