Kelly report discovers some employers are
thriving while most struggle to build resilient
organizations
TROY,
Mich., May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As
employers around the world contend with the greatest workforce
disruption in generations, a new global report released today by
staffing leader Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB) uncovers a striking
disconnect between senior executives and talent. The 2023 Kelly
Global Re:work Report finds that most organizations are
failing to meet the needs of employees and risk erasing progress
made during the pandemic. The report identifies resilient
organizations thriving amid the disruption, emphasizing the
importance of building workforce resilience in today's dynamic
labor market.
The 2023 Kelly Global Re:work Report finds
most organizations are failing to meet the needs of
employees.
The third consecutive global workforce report from Kelly, titled
The Three Pillars of Workforce Resilience, uncovers how
businesses are struggling to scale, retain, and develop
talent—resulting in lower performance, missed business
opportunities, and more disengaged employees. Despite these
challenges, some organizations are thriving by focusing on three
crucial pillars: workforce agility; diversity, equity, and
inclusion (DEI); and workforce capability.
"Now more than ever, employers are struggling to keep up with
the evolving needs of talent, and risk falling behind if they don't
bridge the growing divide related to workplace expectations," said
Tammy Browning, senior vice
president of Kelly. "As organizations enter a post-pandemic era,
those that prioritize building a resilient workforce by focusing on
the three pillars will be better equipped to adapt to the future of
work and thrive in changing market conditions."
Kelly surveyed senior executives and talent across 11 countries
and 9 sectors. Key findings include:
- Employees are ready to move on—but not for the reasons
executives think. Almost a third of talent (28%) are
prepared to leave their employer in the next 12 months, due to poor
work-life balance and lack of development opportunities, while
executives believe it's due to compensation.
- Executives recognize they aren't doing enough to meet the
needs of their workforce. Fewer than half (47%) say they are
doing more to support the wellbeing of employees compared with 12
months ago, while around a quarter report that employee wellbeing
(24%) and satisfaction (23%) have decreased over the same
period.
- Many employees do not experience an inclusive workplace.
Almost half (43%) report they have experienced non-inclusive
behaviors at their current employer. Surprisingly, 62% of talent
surveyed who say they are planning to leave their roles within 12
months also report non-inclusive behavior in their workplace. More
than a third (37%) say they work in a "psychologically unsafe
environment."
- DEI initiatives have plateaued and may be dropping off – a
sign of DEI fatigue. Nearly half of executives (47%) say
their DEI strategy only pays lip service to supporting
underrepresented groups. Shockingly, fewer than one in five
executives (16%) say their organization has a clear route for
reporting discrimination at work. Only 35% of talent say that
leaders in their organization model inclusive behaviors at all
times, while 38% believe their employer only pays lip service to
DEI.
- An epidemic of "quiet quitting" is underway. Almost half
of executives (46%) report they have been affected by "quiet
quitting" over the last 12 months. Nearly half (45%) of talent have
been, or currently are, quietly quitting.
- Employees see the advantages of automation and aren't
opposed. While 71% of talent say automation is positive for
business performance, 33% also say it has been positive for
employees.
The report provides a framework for organizations interested in
following the lead of the "Resilience Leaders"—those building
workforce resilience and achieving increased employee productivity,
customer satisfaction, revenue, and profits over the past 12
months. The Resilience Leaders represent 12% of executive survey
respondents, and they are focusing on the three pillars needed to
build a resilient workforce by:
- Implementing strategies to build workforce agility.
Leading organizations are far more likely than "laggard"
organizations to say they are effective at recruiting the
contingent talent required to achieve their business objectives
(63% versus 30%).
- Automating repeatable tasks to free up talent for more
meaningful work and upskilling opportunities. Workforce
Resilience Leaders are ahead of the pack, with 61% successfully
automating aspects of their business to improve workforce
resilience, versus 33% of laggards.
- Keeping their commitments to DEI. Leading firms are more
likely than laggard organizations to be focused on building
inclusion – by listening to employees' views (62% versus 33%),
providing a living wage (70% versus 51%), or offering flexible and
hybrid work arrangements (55% versus 40%). This seems to be paying
dividends: they are also more likely to report that employee
satisfaction and wellbeing improved over the past year (62% versus
41%).
- Prioritizing talent development and training. Resilience
Leaders are more likely than laggard organizations to have
implemented accelerated training programs to quickly upskill talent
(75% versus 55%) and are also more likely to offer career
development programs that enable employees to gain experience in
other areas of the business (72% versus 56%).
"The talent crisis has impacted our organization in a number of
ways. Five years ago, it was challenging to find highly skilled
candidates but today the pool is even smaller. This situation has
opened our eyes to how we can do things differently – we need to
more flexible and creative in how we define roles and the
experience we seek," said JJ Girt, HR leader, Evoqua Water
Technologies.
Read the full report here for additional insights.
About Kelly®
Kelly connects talented people to
companies in need of their skills in areas including science,
engineering, education, contact center, light Industrial, and more.
We're always thinking about what's next in the evolving world of
work, and we help people ditch the script on old ways of thinking
and embrace the value of all workstyles in the workplace. We
directly employ more than 300,000 people around the world and
connect thousands more with work through our global network of
talent suppliers and partners in our outsourcing and consulting
practice. Revenue in 2022 was $5.0
billion. Visit kellyservices.com and let us help with what's
next for you. Follow Kelly on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and
YouTube.
About the Survey
Kelly surveyed 1,500 senior
executives, 50% of whom are in C-suite roles, across 11
countries—Australia, France,
Germany, Italy, India,
Malaysia, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, United
Kingdom, and United States—and 9 industries—life
sciences, energy, manufacturing, consumer retail, science (bio
and clinical), engineering, tech, financial services, and
automotive.
Kelly surveyed 4,200 individuals at all levels of organizations,
62% of whom are in non-managerial positions, across the same 11
countries and 9 industries listed above.
"Laggard" organizations are not building workforce resilience
and are more likely to be experiencing decreased employee
productivity, customer satisfaction, and profits over the past 12
months (6% of the executive survey sample).
Media Contacts:
Cynthia Carey
cync752@kellyservices.com
248-579-9920 (desk)
248-462-3021 (mobile)
Emily Sandberg (U.S.)
esandberg@voxglobal.com
317-270-4347 (mobile)
Juliette Monnet (U.K.)
juliette.monnet@fleishman.com
+44 (0) 7510 153 737 (mobile)
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SOURCE Kelly Services, Inc.