Specialist workers are happiest, employees desire transparency and not everyone feels a winner in hybrid working
In the world of employment, workers with the most sought-after skills are the happiest. That’s just one of the findings in PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey. We polled the views of 52,195 workers across 44 territories, including 1,095 in Belgium, to gauge their perceptions about their current job, employer and potential career changes. Employee interest in their employer’s impact on the economy, climate and society is rising, but there’s a gap between the desire to see this impact and the worker’s confidence in their employer being transparent on these points. We can expect hybrid working to increase, but there’s still a large group for whom working remotely is not feasible and they feel at a disadvantage as a result.
The war for talent is heating up
In Belgium, 57% of employees are ‘very’ or ‘moderately’ satisfied with their job. Workers with in-demand skills are more likely to feel satisfied with their job (63% vs 56%) and they feel more listened to by their managers (41% vs 24%). These workers are also more likely than the overall group to ask for a raise or a promotion in the coming year (49%).
Similarly, skills shortages are still very tangible. About 22% of Belgian respondents (vs 29% globally) say that their skills are in short supply in their home market. To win the war for talent, financial reward is necessary (70%), but on its own, is not enough. An opportunity to be one’s authentic self at work (71%) and have fulfilling work (68%) are among the top three factors for employees considering a job change. The results call for a more holistic approach to retention strategies, combining reward with aspects that include culture and societal purpose.
How important are the following factors to you when considering making a change in your work environment?
(Showing only "Extremely important" and "Very important" responses)
Bar chart showing horizontal columns. This chart type is often beneficial for smaller screens, as the user can scroll through the data vertically, and axis labels are easy to read.
In societal goals, transparency is everything
Employees want to see the positive contribution their companies make, both internally and externally. In particular, they want transparency about their health and safety record (46%), economic impact (47%), diversity and inclusion performance (46%) and environment and climate impact (41%).
Yet there seems to be a disconnect between the importance employees place on employer transparency and how confident they are that their employer will deliver on this, particularly when it comes to protecting health and safety. The survey suggests that employers will have to put transparency as a key priority in order to restore their employees’ confidence and ultimately retain their most valuable asset.
Q22. How important is it to you that your employer is transparent about each of the following areas?
Q23. How confident are you that your employer is transparent about the following areas?
(Showing only "Extremely" and "Very confident" only)
Hybrid work increases, but not everyone is happy
Amid the rise in remote and hybrid working options, there’s still a large group of workers who cannot work remotely at all. About 52% of the Belgian sample of surveyed employees fall into this category - somewhat higher than the global average of 45%. This group is far less likely to say their team cares about their wellbeing (32%) and feel that they are fairly rewarded financially (30%). Of those that can work remotely, 70% of surveyed Belgian respondents (vs 55% globally) are currently working in a hybrid way and we can expect this to increase. Of those working remotely full-time, there is greater concern about being overlooked for development opportunities.
“Amid the challenges of digitalisation and a rapidly changing global environment, we have an opportunity to rethink the future of work. A people-centred approach is needed, focused on wellbeing and upskilling, in order to respond effectively to challenging new ways of working. At the same time, our country has the potential to leverage its diversity of talent and become a leading hub for global talent by 2030, with the capacity to contribute to a stronger, more inclusive and sustainable society.”
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