(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: 5th – 11th February 2024
Photo by Melpo Tsiliaki on Unsplash
Focusing too heavily on productivity can increase turnover rates
New research from Dayforce, formerly known as Ceridian, has found that more than a third (69%) of employees are looking to leave their current employers - increasing to more than three-quarters for Gen Z (76%) and Millennials (77%), globally. Nearly a quarter (23%) are already looking for new opportunities.
Of the 9000 employees surveyed worldwide for its 2024 Pulse of Talent report, the majority (81%) said they were burnt out.
Nearly three-quarters (70%) said that aggressive performance goals increased their stress levels and nearly half (43%) lost motivation after failing to reach their set goals.
Almost two-thirds (61%) also said employee surveillance increased their stress levels.
Katie Meyers, Vice President of Global Talent Management and Development at Dayforce, says that businesses are focusing too heavily on employee productivity and performance, ignoring the ever-increasing numbers experiencing burnout which should be a priority for leaders and HR teams.
Dayforce’s report shows that the solution to this is a change in focus to flexibility, empathy and the utilisation of AI.
More than half (52%) of respondents said that flexibility was the most important aspect of a job role - more than a third (36%) said they were looking to leave for roles with better flexibility.
Nearly all (90%) of those served said that empathetic leaders positively impacted their experience - this increased among Gen Z (96%). However, only over half (55%) of employees felt trusted by employers, with employers reciprocating (56%).
When asked about the utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI), over two-thirds (69%) of employees said it enhanced productivity and performance and more than a third (39%) said it helped to lower stress levels.
The majority (80%) express interest in how employers are currently and will continue to use AI, particularly when it comes to development and skills enhancement.
Meyers says that leaders have the opportunity to leverage AI to enhance workforce engagement by accelerating the development of current employees and fostering a culture of continuous learning across the organisation.
Source: UNLEASH.
Is it acceptable to decline an 8am meeting to maintain a good work/life balance?
In the clip taken from the workplace-related podcast Demoted, a supervisor sent in a story about how a new Gen Z employee prioritised their gym class over attending an 8am meeting. Surprised, the supervisor wrote in to ask if declining an 8am meeting to work out was acceptable.
Co-hosts Natalie Marie and Ross Pomerantz deemed the behaviour unacceptable, suggesting that the new hire should have attended the meeting and fitted their work out around it.
The perceived lack of empathy from the hosts caused the clip to go viral.
David Collings, Chair of Sustainable Business at Trinity Business School, says that the time important meetings are scheduled reflects both individual managers' priorities and the broader organisational culture.
He adds that although there may be valid reasons for early morning meetings, such as coordinating with different time zones or major announcements, sometimes these meeting times can be taken for granted without real reason.
Collings says that diversity and inclusion research shows that holding critical meetings early or late in the day can disproportionately affect parents and caregivers, especially women.
Jennifer Healy, People and Culture Director at Vivup, says that the employee has demonstrated a great level of transparency by communicating her reason for not attending the 8am meeting - bringing their authentic self to work, which has been heavily encouraged in recent years.
She adds that having a good work/life is important but if such meetings are an occasional necessity to do the job, the employer and employee should renegotiate their contract.
Healy says that mutual trust and understanding between employers and employees regarding individual commitments both inside and outside of work is crucial to creating a happier, healthier and more engaged workforce.
Kate Jenkinson, Executive Leadership Coach at Next Step HR, says that a key take away from this interaction is the importance of communicating well with employees, particularly when such situations arise, rather than sharing it on a public platform.
Source: People Management.
The presence of LGBTQ+ leadership is crucial to recruiting Gen Z workers
MyGwork's new report reveals that the majority (80%) of LGBTQ+ students and recent graduates view the presence of LGBTQ+ individuals in leadership roles as a crucial factor in deciding whether to accept a job offer. This is particularly true for students from minoritised ethnicities.
The visibility of LGBTQ+ role models is particularly important to the younger generation as more than a third (36%) identify as LGBTQ+ and the majority (80%) of LGBTQ+ students and graduates feel their identity negatively impacts the likelihood of obtaining a senior leadership role.
Three-quarters (75%) of LGBTQ+ respondents expressed a reluctance to accept a role where they couldn’t be open about their identity without being subjected to discrimination and limited career opportunities.
Nearly half (48%) LGBTQ+ students and graduates have seen sexual orientation or gender identity based discrimination during their academic career or at work - less than a third (32%) of non-LGBTQ+ respondents say the same.
More than a third (36%) of LGBTQ+ individuals have been subjected to discrimination.
The report found that LGBTQ+ individuals from minoritised ethnicities are more likely to see or experience discrimination than their white equivalents.
The majority (80%) of those surveyed wouldn’t want to work for a business that has recently stopped supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Adrien and Pierre Gaubert, Co-founders of myGwork, say that this highlights how important it is for employers to understand the impact of removing support for the LGBTQ+ community on their recruitment and retention initiatives - regardless of whether Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+, the majority think businesses aren’t doing enough to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
They add that Gen Z LGBTQ+ professionals prioritise transparent LGBTQ+ inclusivity, visible LGBTQ+ leadership and external support for the LGBTQ+ community when job hunting.
Adrien and Pierre say that organisations need to do more than the standard diversity, equity, and inclusion support to attract and retain Gen Z professionals.
Source: The HR Director.
And here are links to other really interesting news stories this week:
Employee Benefits: 68% of employees suffer from health problems at work
HR Review: 93% of women say their work life balance has negatively impacted their mental health
HR Review: Presenteeism prevails: UK employees fear stigma of calling in sick
People Management: Third of people think attitudes to older workers have worsened, survey finds