Changes in the world of work you need to be aware of

Rapid changes are occurring in the world of work, and with a skills migration not back at pre-pandemic levels, many businesses are in desperate need of skilled talent. However, the new way of working is challenging for some. In our recent survey we uncovered what Australian workers are saying. Here are some of our insights.

The next pandemic: Burnout

The effect the pandemic has had on the mental health of Australians is well documented. Wellbeing and mental health are issues spanning age and gender and burnout is a key concern - especially among our young leaders.

More than half of young leaders in Australia are suffering from burnout, this is the same group who shoulder responsibility for future progress. Unfortunately, Australia is leading the charge in terms of burnout with 53% of Australian’s suffering compared to 38% globally.

Leaders must reconnect the disconnect

In a time, when we are connected constantly, most Australian workers have never felt more disconnected. As a leader in your business, you now hold the key to reconnecting employees and re-inventing culture. Australian workers currently have low satisfaction with leadership and worker’s relationships, motivation and sense of team and company culture have deteriorated over the last year.

There is a disconnect, however, as leaders don’t see the issue – there is a gap between management views of their own performance and the opinion of their employees. Further skilling in the areas of coaching and leadership is key for leaders as we move through this new way of working.

The Great Resignation

Motivation and engagement are low in Australian workforces and nearly 2 in 5 people are considering moving to a job with more flexible options. When looking for new talent for your business, offering flexibility really is key. Eight in ten workers want to be able to maintain a good work/life balance. As an employee if you can provide a hybrid working environment and daily flexibility, you will appeal to the skilled workers of Australia.

Further, a quarter of respondents indicated that they are considering moving to another country or region and less than half of the people surveyed are satisfied with career prospects at their current company. To combat this and to keep your high-valued staff within your business, you need to provide clear pathways for your employees so they can build on their career and to keep them engaged.

Focus on tech

Technology has been the key enabler of the new hybrid and flexible normal.  Consequently, workers’ top expectations from companies going forward are good IT infrastructure and systems and investment in technology to facilitate better remote work.

As the world becomes more and more remote, digital skills have continued improving for over 6 in 10 workers globally. But cyber-attacks are a growing concern for half of employees.

For employees working in technology, digital or IT the shift to a remote and hybrid world of work has been more positive in general, compared to those in other industries. Tech workers are more satisfied with their leader, their career prospects and feel happier in their jobs than workers in other sectors, but when looking at non-managers, only 45% are satisfied with their prospects at their company.

The world of work is changing and as one of Australia’s largest workforce solutions companies, Spring Professional is here to help. To get further insights into the way businesses need to move forward with this talent sourcing, please download our 2022 salary guide here.