The survey revealed that job security is a top priority, with most employers already cutting back perks In addition, mental health supports are high on the agenda for employers next year as nearly one in four workers have been affected by mental health issues in some way after a year of crisis. Job security is a top priority for workers at the moment according to a new survey by job site Indeed. Over 14,000 employees and 3,500 employers across 14 countries were surveyed as part of the study, including 1000 employees and 250 employers in Ireland. The survey measured the experiences of people across areas such as job security, motivation, teamwork, pandemic supports and work/life balance.
The survey revealed that job security is a top priority, with most employers already cutting back perks In addition, mental health supports are high on the agenda for employers next year as nearly one in four workers have been affected by mental health issues in some way after a year of crisis.
Job security is a top priority for workers at the moment according to a new survey by job site Indeed. Over 14,000 employees and 3,500 employers across 14 countries were surveyed as part of the study, including 1000 employees and 250 employers in Ireland. The survey measured the experiences of people across areas such as job security, motivation, teamwork, pandemic supports and work/life balance.
The study found that for 71% of workers in Ireland, a secure, stable form of employment will be one of their top priorities for 2021, while 60% said they would sacrifice perks in order to attain it. This mirrored the global trend, which also saw 71% of employees agree that job security was a priority, with 56% prepared to sacrifice perks for it. The study showed that two in three employers in Ireland have already cut perks for their employees due to the pandemic.
Irish Outlook
Overall, Irish employees maintained an optimistic outlook about their working experience during the pandemic, with 73% stating that they are motivated to do their best in their job, while 62% felt the challenges the pandemic brought were a useful learning opportunity for their career. More time with family, more opportunities to work from home, and greater work/life balance had the biggest impact on their personal circumstances this year, a sentiment that was shared globally. However, one cause for concern was that 23% of Irish workers said their mental health declined, above the global average of 19%.
Most Irish employers (60%) believed that greater consideration will be given to wellbeing and mental health in the workplace next year
Many felt appreciative of their colleagues – 71% of Irish workers felt their team really pulled together to weather the crisis, while 86% of employers echoed this sentiment. Over 57% of employees said their colleagues helped them manage this challenging period, while 60% felt supported by their employer this year.
Most Irish employers (60%) believed that greater consideration will be given to wellbeing and mental health in the workplace next year, as well as more focus on hygiene and safety in the workplace (48%) and greater awareness of the challenges of care-giving outside of work (47%).
A tough year
Vice president of client success and sales at Indeed, Derek Diviney said:
“This year has undoubtedly been one of the toughest on record for workers across the board. Many have faced redundancy, furlough or have struggled to work from home while balancing care-giving duties. The key trend we are seeing this year is a recognition of the human side of work. Suddenly, we were all reminded of the personal circumstances and challenges we all face day to day, and where our work fits into that.
The positivity expressed by Irish workers and their willingness to pull together during this time is testament to their resilience
“For many, their work goes beyond just an economic necessity, it gives them a sense of fulfilment and pride, or can provide a social or creative outlet, and we must recognise the difficulty that losing that can bring. The positivity expressed by Irish workers and their willingness to pull together during this time is testament to their resilience, and is something which will no doubt aid the recovery next year.”
When asked about government support during the pandemic, employees in Ireland, Australia, the Netherlands and Canada were most likely to say that government measures to support them were effective, although they themselves did not need to make use of these measures (28% each), while the USA was least likely to agree with this (10%).
Forty-four per cent of employers in Ireland felt that government decisions were effective to protect their business, with larger businesses more likely to agree. However, 30% of employers would like more visibility on future plans, and 18% felt they should be consulted more throughout the decision-making process.
Read more
Increased digitisation and remote working here to stay in a post-COVID world
COVID-19 results in uncertainty in the jobs market
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: