Based on a study participated by more than 14,600 employees, managers, HR leaders, and C-Level executives from across 13 countries revealed that 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.
The new study by Oracle and Workplace Intelligence, an HR research and advisory firm, revealed that people all around the world have felt stuck in their personal and professional lives, but are ready to regain control of their futures. More than 6,000 respondents of this global survey came from Asia-Pacific countries including Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.
The Asia-Pacific Workforce Feels Lonely, Disconnected, & Out of Control
Over a year in lockdown and the continued uncertainty due to the ongoing pandemic has left many workers in emotional turmoil, feeling like their lives and careers are out of control, but companies are taking note and are taking steps to protect their employees’ mental health.
- 80% of people have been negatively impacted by the last year, with many struggling financially (31%); suffering from declining mental health (29%); lacking career motivation (25%); feeling lonelier (25%); and feeling disconnected from their own lives (22%).
- 63% found 2021 to be the most stressful year at work ever. More than half (55%) 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 increased by half since the start of the pandemic. People noted they have lost control mainly over their personal lives (47 %); futures (46%); and finances (45%).
- 77% of people feel stuck in their personal lives, feeling anxiety about their future (32%); trapped in the same routine (27%); and suffered financially (25%).
- However, on the upside, majority (78%) also felt that their companies were more concerned with protecting their mental health now than before the pandemic.
“The pandemic has set a new course for the future of work. Surprisingly, despite feeling stuck in their lives, anxious about their future, trapped in the same routine, and more loneliness than ever before, employees are feeling more empowered. They have found their voice and are not hesitating to speak up what success means to them. With these changing priorities, organizations 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 personalized career journeys to put them in control of their careers once again,” according to Shaakun Khanna, Head of HCM Cloud Applications Strategy, Asia Pacific at Oracle.
People are Motivated to Make Changes…
Despite struggles over the last year, people in Asia-Pacific are eager to make changes in their professional lives.
- 93% of people used the past year to reflect on their lives and 90% said the meaning of success has changed for them since the pandemic, with work-life balance (43%); mental health (38%); and workplace flexibility (34%) now top priorities.
- 78% feel stuck professionally, because they don’t have growth opportunities to progress their career (27%) and are too overwhelmed to make any changes (23%).
- 72% of people say feeling stuck in their career has negatively impacted their personal lives as well by adding extra stress and anxiety (42%); contributing to feeling stuck personally (31%); and taking focus away from their personal lives (28%).
- 84% of people are ready to make a career change, but 79% said they are facing major obstacles. The biggest hurdles include financial instability (24%); not knowing what career change makes sense for them (23%); not feeling confident enough to make a change (22%); and seeing no growth opportunities at their company (22%).
- Going into 2022, professional development is top of mind with many willing to give up key benefits such as flexible work arrangements (60%); vacation time (55%); and even monetary bonuses (52%) or part of their salary (48%) for more career opportunities.
- However, 86% of the workforce in Asia-Pacific are not satisfied with their employer’s support. They are looking for organizations to provide more learning and skills development (38%); opportunities for new roles within their company (32%); and more workplace flexibility (32%).
Employees in Asia Pacific are Hungry for New Skills
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.
- 89% of people want technology to help define their future by recommending ways to learn new skills (40%); identifying skills they need to develop (39%); and providing next steps to progress towards career goals (37%).
- 82% of people would make life changes based on robot recommendations.
- 88% believe robots can support their careers better than a human by giving unbiased recommendations (41%); delivering resources tailored to their current skills or goals (38%); or quickly answering questions about their career (37%).
- 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 (45%); identifying strengths and weaknesses (43%); and looking beyond a resume to recommend roles that fit personalities (39%).
- 91% of people believe their company should be doing more to listen to their needs and 61% are more likely to stay with a company that uses advanced technologies like AI to support career growth.
“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. 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,” according to Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence.
“It’s not unreasonable to want to be in the driver’s seat of your own life. Employers should make it as easy as possible for employees to be happy, feel fulfilled, and achieve their version of success with the help of the right technology and right tools,” added Shaakun.
Methodology
Research findings are based on a survey conducted by Savanta, Inc. across the US, the UK, UAE, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia between 27 July 2021 to 17 August 2021. For this survey, 14,639 (out of which 6,111 are from the Asia Pacific) 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 completed 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.