Voice of the Employees 2018 (Q4): The Results

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Voice of the Employees 2018 (Q4): The Results

1. Inspired by Emerging Trends

Artificial intelligence and Blockchain are buzzwords in the field of technology for good reasons. They are, after all, the most disruptive technologies known to date.

Individually, AI and blockchain would already have the power to alter the mannerisms in business, leisure and society as a whole. Together, their disruptive impact will be unprecedented. At a glance, these transformative technologies bring about tremendous business value in the forms of enhanced customer / user experience, additional revenue, and lowering manpower cost.

In reality, while many are excited by these emerging technologies in their organisations’ digital transformation journey, more than 60% were uncertain of the actual business value or the return on investment.

Which Emerging Trend are You Excited About?

Growth of Automation (A.I and Machine Learning) 47%
Rise of Blockchain Technology 35%
Emphasis on Customer / User Experience 32%
Focus on Wellness at Work 30%
IoT in the Workplace 26%

321 Employees (Blue and White Collar) and 31 Senior Leaders were asked “Which of the following trends are you excited about going into 2019?”

*Note: Respondents were able to select multiple options.

2. Contrary to Popular Belief: A Slight Rise in Concern Over Job Security with New Technologies

27%

Overall: 27% employees feel that it is possible for the emerging technologies to displace them from their jobs.

Concerns of Employees in Organisations which have Recently Adopted Some Form of Emerging Technology 

Opportunities for Reskilling / Upskilling 43%
Job Security 36%
Revision in Remuneration 21%
Increased Pace of Work 14%

*Note: Respondents were able to select multiple options.

3. Employees Need Opportunities for Lifelong Learning and Employers will be Key

Lack of opportunities for reskilling or upskilling is one of the key concerns of employees who are in organisations which have adopted or have plans to adopt new technologies.

Human capital investment must be at the center of any strategy for producing skills that are complementary to the technology. The current workforce, including those unemployed, need sufficient opportunities for reskilling and upskilling with businesses taking an active role in determining the skills required and in providing the skill training.

4. Overall Moderate Job Happiness

0
Moderate Job Happiness Score (Out of 5)

We asked: “On a scale of 1 to 5, how happy do you feel at work?”

work overload

We asked: “What are the skills or abilities which you feel would be required to thrive in the workplace of the future?”

Employees were not as happy with their opportunities in Training and Development in 2018 as compared to the other engagement indicators. Comments cited include “There should also be training content on emerging technologies out there. We need to stay up-to-date. A sure-fire way of telling whether an organisation is ready to adapt any disruptive technology is to see if there are even casual discussions about them in the pantry.”
 
Employees learn best in a comfortable and supportive environment. They would also like to be empowered with the freedom to explore and learn new technologies, frameworks and tools. While these skills may not necessarily have a direct relation with their current roles, they could unlock possibilities for the organisation in the future.
 
A digital on-demand learning platform would be key to provide the type of enrichment which employees yearn for.

5. Changing Job Environments at the Back of Employees' Minds

Proportion of Employees Considering to Leave their Organisations …

In the Next 3 Months 17%
In the Next 6 Months 31%
In the Next 12 Months 57%

Based on what I know, most of them simply leave when the work becomes too mundane or they would like to graze greener pastures.

Manager #1

31 to 40 years old

I need a new challenge in my work.

Employee #1

24 to 30 years old

If the company wants me to leave, they will have 101 ways to force me out of the door… My current workload is unfair.

Employee #2

41 to 50 years old

Sometimes when I ask <my manager> a question, she doesn’t give me eye contact. I feel like she isn’t very interested in what I am saying.

Employee #3

24 to 30 years old

<My manager> appears moody in general and suffers from radical mood swings. Knowing that it will likely aggravate the situation, I can’t bring myself to share bad news sometimes. It would be like courting death.

Employee #4

24 to 30 years old

The reason is simple. I have a micro-managing manager.

Employee #5

31 to 40 years old

6. Employee Motivations: More than Meets the Eye

91%
were able to "assess the company culture" within their 1st 2 weeks.
93%
agreed that "Flexible Work Arrangements" would help harmonise work and personal life.
56%
wanted to see additional "personal development opportunities" in their organisations.
47%
were willing to trade a fraction of their remuneration for better work-life harmony.

Key Employee Motivators

Relationship with Immediate Superior 67%
Company’s Culture 65%
Personal Development 64%
Work-life Harmony 62%
Remuneration and Benefits 59%
Career Advancement 58%
Company's Direction 55%

*Note: Respondents were able to select multiple options.

7. Not All Organisations Follow Through with Appropriate Post Survey Actions. Where Do You Stand?

0 %
of managers do not review survey results in depth.
0
is the number of managers
(out of 10) who have reviewed the results but did not take any actions.
0 %
is the proportion of organisations which scratched the surface in analytics.
As many as 0
in 10 felt that surveys were mere paper exercises since no actions will be taken.
0 %
is the proportion of people who distrust that their responses are truly anonymous in an internally conducted survey.
0
in 10 admitted to editing their survey answers or skipping the open-ended questions in fear of discrimination.
Open-ended questions in a survey can give us a better understanding of why employees respond in certain ways. They provide a platform for employees to express themselves freely and in return give more meaning, insight, context and nuance to the quantitative data collected.
 
To truly appreciate the voice of your employees, the anonymity of each employee in the survey is non-negotiable.