Global study finds 78% of people feel “stuck” professionally and personally (77%); 90% of people say their meaning of success has changed since the pandemic started
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. Over 6,000 respondents joined this global study from Asia-Pacific countries including Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.
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, but companies are taking note and are taking steps to protect their employees’ mental health.
A majoity of respondent (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, majority (78 percent) also felt that their companies were more concerned with protecting their mental health now than before the pandemic.
Study reveals that people are motivated to make changes, but are facing big challenges. Despite struggles over the last year, people in Asia-Pacific are eager to make changes in their professional lives. Results shows 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. 78 percent feel stuck professionally, because they don’t have growth opportunities to progress their career and are too overwhelmed to make any changes. 72 percent of people say feeling stuck in their career has negatively impacted their personal lives as well by adding extra stress and anxiety.
Employees in Asia Pacific 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.
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 next steps to progress towards career goals. 82 percent of people would make life changes based on robot recommendations. 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 career. 91 percent of people believe their company should be doing more to listen to their needs and 61 percent are more likely to stay with a company that uses advanced technologies like AI to support career growth.
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.
He said that 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.
Commenting on the findings of the study Shaakun Khanna, Head of HCM Cloud Applications Strategy, Asia Pacific, Oracle said that te 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. 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 personalized career journeys to put them in control of their careers once again.
According to Peter Leow, Director, Human Resources, peoples’ anxiety and stress level increase as they discover and adapt to unknown changes. Remote working and limited physical interactions further restricted understanding and information sharing, resulting in lower engagement, collaborations and trust. Robots and AI could help bridge some of these gaps to connect and strengthen interest and relations, improve work cultures through crowd sharing of information with efficacy. It enables empowerment, exploration and experimentation within a safe and controlled enviroment with transparency and consistency to enhance creativity, efficiency and effectiveness.
