Attitudes, actions and concerns of Kiwi workers revealed

A nationwide study has uncovered how New Zealand workers feel about the economy, their workplace and their jobs.

The ELMO Employee Sentiment Report, commissioned by ELMO Software and conducted by Lonergan Research, has polled New Zealanders about their attitudes, actions and concerns in the workplace over the past three months as well as their plans and expectations for the future.

Economic conditions and perceived security

Three in five New Zealand workers feel their industry (60 percent) and their organisation (59 percent) are secure, while 56 percent feel their job is secure. However, there is less faith in the security of the economy with just one fifth (19 percent) feeling it is secure. International border closures are making 50 percent of New Zealand workers nervous for the security of their jobs. Meanwhile city-based lockdowns are having a larger impact on workers’ confidence with 67 percent of respondents reporting the lockdowns cause them to fear for their jobs.

Perceptions about the current economic conditions are also influencing New Zealanders’ decisions to pursue a pay rise (56 percent), search for a new job (47 percent) and invest in professional development and training (46 percent).

While perceived job security is held by the majority of New Zealanders, almost one fifth have reported they have not worked enough hours in the past three months.

ELMO Software CEO Danny Lessem said it was encouraging to see the majority of New Zealanders feel secure in their jobs and their organisation. “As the economy incrementally returns to normal it’s encouraging to see almost three fifths of New Zealanders feel secure in their job.

“Job security is an important factor for how people perform in the workplace and how they act as consumers – which can have a flow-on effect for the economic recovery and business performance.”

Health and wellbeing

In the past three months almost half of New Zealanders have felt burnout (40 percent) with employees in enterprise sized organisations of 2,000 plus employees more likely to report burnout than those in mid-sized organisations or small-to-medium-sized businesses.

When it comes to generational feelings of burnout, ‘Generation Z’ are more likely to report burnout (59 percent) than other generations. Following from ‘Generation Z’ were ‘Millennials’ at 52 percent, ‘Generation X’ at 31 percent and ‘Baby Boomers’ at 19 percent.

The amount of work to do has made more than a quarter of New Zealanders feel overwhelmed at work (27 percent) in the past three months. New Zealanders are also taking on more responsibilities with 28 percent reporting that they’ve taken on more responsibility. Alarmingly, more than a quarter of workers arrived at work in the last three months despite feeling unwell (28 percent).

Lessem says it’s important organisations have an in-depth understanding of their workforce to reduce burnout and improve employee wellbeing. “It doesn’t take long for an employee to go from feeling burnt out to feeling like they need a new job. Organisations need to have an in-depth understanding of their workforce to make sure people aren’t being overwhelmed with the amount of work they need to do.

“Technology can be a saving grace for many organisations to get the insights they need about their workforce to make sensible resourcing decisions that can help to reduce employee turnover and improve wellbeing.”

Outlook for the future

Despite concerns about economic security, New Zealanders are optimistic about their future financial circumstances with more than half reporting they are anticipating a pay rise within the next year (53 percent).

However, while a pay rise may be expected, a bonus is not anticipated with 59 percent believing they won’t receive a bonus payment within the next year.

Remuneration is the key concern for New Zealanders seeking a new job, followed by flexible and remote working and the stability of the organisation.

Technology is on the minds of many workers with 70 percent reporting they feel greater technology will assist them in their role. However, despite technology continually evolving three quarters of workers don’t believe their role will be automated in the next five years.

According to Lessem now is the time for businesses to invest in technology. “As the economy rebuilds, employers need to help their employees be as productive and efficient as possible. In many cases, technology can help remove the tedium in a person’s role so they can focus on the work that delivers real output.

“New Zealand workers aren’t afraid of technology in the workplace, in fact, they believe it will help them do their jobs better.”

For more information, visit www.elmosoftware.com.au