This week's workforce stat is about the number of hours we're all working. I thought this was appropriate as we're heading into Labor Day weekend.
Our recent survey of more than 3,000 workers shows that we are working about 44 hours per week on average. That number hasn't changed much in the last 10 years - but with continued gains in productivity, it certainly means we are doing more in that time. Is the number surprising to you?
I will confess that I work more than 44 hours - sometimes way more to be exact. And trust me, that's not because I want to, but simply because I have to in order to keep my head above water.
I'm not alone, either - 12% of workers say they work more than 51 hours a week. That's a huge number when you consider that there are 140 million of us working.
Over the past year or so, I have really tried to cut down on the amount of extra time I spend at work, though. And it's worked for the most part. I've been most successful in reducing the hours by making specific plans after work. That way, I force myself to leave.
Do you find yourself working a lot of hours? Have you been successful in reducing your hours? If so, how?
Enjoy your long weekend and recharge those batteries.
I have been reading through our latest Emerging Workforce data and found something that was a bit surprising: 61% of all workers plan to work until they are 65 or older and 11% plan to retire after age 70. I even saw an article this week which profiled people working in their nineties - that's a bit extreme, though.
However, the reality is that lot of us will be working well beyond the traditional age of retirement. People are living longer, healthier lives and simply want to work longer to stay active, etc. But living longer means the need for more money and since it seems fewer people are saving for retirement these days, many people will need to work to maintain a certain lifestyle, pay medical bills and so on.
Will you be working into your sixties or seventies? And if you do, will you choose to go into business for yourself or consulting or remain in the corporate world?
Frankly, I have another 30 years until I even consider it, so it's hard for me to even imagine it now. But I do know that it will be hard to just stop working at age 65 and hang it up. Sure, it sounds appealing at this very moment as I sit here wishing I could go home or on an extended vacation, but after 40+ years of contributing at work, that's easier said than done.
I've taken a short break from Friday Figures as we prepare to launch the next version of our comprehensive Emerging Workforce Study, but I am back this week with a new and concerning stat. Only 13% of workers say that their company has put more effort into retaining them than they have in previous years.
It's a well-known fact that workers are in great demand as we're starting to see the early effects of the much anticipated worker shortage. So, why do workers feel that their employers aren't putting effort into keeping them from walking out the door?
I have come up with three possible reasons:
Reason #1: Workers have unrealistic expectations about what their employers should be doing to retain them.
Reason #2: Perhaps the majority of workers we interviewed for this survey are low performers and their employers aren't all that concerned about retaining them.
Reason #3: Employers really haven't stepped up their efforts to retain their workforce yet.
While reasons one and two are certainly factors in some of the results, it's painfully obvious that employers just haven't taken a serious approach to retaining their existing workers yet.
Why is this happening?
It starts with HR priorities. In our 2005 Emerging Workforce Study we found that nearly 70% of employers said recruiting talent was a major concern for them, but only 34% said that retention was a major concern. What gives? It still seems that many employers don't link recruiting and retention. Don't they know that it is harder and more costly to find you in the first place than it is to try and keep you there?
I don't get this - to me they go hand in hand. Why spend all the effort on getting you in the door and little to none to keep you there? Maybe employers will eventually see the light - only after we all get wooed to another company. And so the cycle continues...
We've just uploaded our latest Temp Life video on YouTube. In this episode, we once again follow the trials and tribulations of those on nightmarish temp assignments. So go ahead, indulge yourself and watch it right here!
It's a great and humorous way to take a break from the rigors of the work day. For our other Temp Life episodes, click here to access our very own YouTube channel.
We've just posted a new podcast by Spherion CEO Roy Krause about the hot topic of re-careering.
He and I have seen and read about the trend of mid-career workers who are either dissatisfied with their current prospects or simply decide they want to pursue a passion and make a major change.
While many of us have probably pondered the idea of leaving the corporate world to become a photographer, interior decorator or dive instructor in Bimini, it's not necessarily an easy thing to do.
Roy explores the challenges of making a major career change and provides advice about how to effectively position yourself and explain your change to employers.
For a list of recent podcasts, please visit our pressroom.
More good news about our jobs in this week's Friday Figures. Not only are we feeling unable to balance our work and personal lives, but recent data shows that many of us don't even have the resources at work to get our jobs done. Hmmm, I wonder if there is some connection?
Our data shows us that only 56% of workers say their team has the adequate resources to get their jobs done. It's clear that employers are placing greater demands on their employees these days, but it's also quite clear that they're not adding enough staff or resources to keep up with those demands.
If you look at the government's job numbers from the past few years, you don't see the same rapid growth in new jobs that we saw in past economic recoveries. So, that means you and I are left to pick up the pieces and deal with the extra work.
What do we do? For starters, we've got to put our foot down and set expectations with our managers. We can't just continue to take on a lot of additional work without voicing our concern, extending deadlines, etc. If we don't speak up, then all we'll face is an even greater overload of work and less time tending to our personal lives.
I confess. I took a much needed break from work last week and skipped my Friday Figures post. I figured that most of you were probably doing the same.
This week's factoid is about workers' confidence in leaving the traditional work structure. We're seeing a growing number of workers saying that they feel comfortable with leaving the corporate lifeline and going out and becoming a free agent, contractor or small business owner. In fact, 62% of us say we have confidence in making the leap, which is up more than 10 percentage points from 2005.
That's a pretty high number if you ask me. I am sure we've all thought or even dreamed about working for ourselves in some capacity and walking away from the rat race. But the fact that a growing majority of us are confident and willing to make the change is quite interesting.
The real question is how many people will act on those intentions. And while the number is growing, it's not significant - yet. So what makes you want to leave the corporate world? What prevents you?
Maybe I've discovered one answer to last week's post about the relatively small percentage of workers (34%) that say moving up the career ladder is a top priority. The latest stat I've found shows that many workers don't believe that a good option exists for them. In fact, only 31% are satisfied with their growth opportunities. The rest are not satisfied at all - that's nearly 70% of all workers. Yikes.
What does this say about employers and their job at providing good opportunities for workers? Of course, not everyone is going to be a VP or "c-level" executive and in many cases that's not what workers want anyway.
Growth opportunities could be as simple as expanded responsibilities, pay on par with performance, stretch assignments or participation on task forces, etc. I believe that it should be every manager's mission to find real growth opportunities for all people that work for them. It starts with finding out how people want to grow within the organization and helping them get there.
It all starts with a conversation. Have you engaged your manager or employees about this? If not, it's time to do so.
Last week I introduced the new Friday Figures feature and reported that 1/3 of all workers say that they can't distinguish between their work life and personal life - a scary stat. This week, I am back with a new workplace statistic for you to ponder.
A recent survey found that only 34% of workers agree and 7% strongly agree that being successful at work and moving up the career ladder is a top career priority. So, less than 10% of workers are really saying that's a big motivator for them. Quite interesting, eh? Especially because of the stat above regarding the work/life balance that 33% workers say they can't find. I wonder how this number corresponds - are all the "ladder climbers" unable to find a balance? I seriously doubt that.
Back to this week's number -- although I haven't been surveying the workforce long enough to prove this, I am willing to bet this is a drastic drop from previous years and decades. We're all different, but I always assumed being successful at work or moving up the proverbial ladder was the general goal we all worked toward - some more quickly than others. Nowadays, more workers are choosing part-time, flexible work and work-life balance options, but this number still seems rather low to me.
If your goal at work is something other than being successful or moving up, what is it that keeps you going every day?
There has been a lot of buzz about a recent Fortune article about Gen Y workers and the new confidence they bring to the workplace. But Spherion surveys show this confident and demanding mindset isn't limited to younger workers. In our latest podcast, Spherion president and CEO Roy Krause has his own take on what drives worker confidence in today's environment.
For a list of recent podcasts, please visit our pressroom.
As many of you know, we conduct a lot of research on today's workers with our partner Harris Interactive. Since you don't get to see all of that data, I decided to create the Friday Figures series where I will provide a new and different workforce stat each week.
This research is representative of the entire U.S. workforce, so that means you have a part in all of this. So, I want to hear what you think about the data and if you feel you fit in with the majority, the minority or not at all...
This week's statistic is that 33% of workers say that the distinction between their work life and personal life is not clear. First of all, that's completely crazy to me -- 1/3 of us can't distinguish between our work and personal lives? Secondly, what does that say about how technology has impacted our lives? It's not all positive, is it? And third, unrealistic employer expectations are just furthering the problem.
However, we can't put the blame squarely on technology or our employers. We're the only ones that can allow work to take over our personal lives. It's really all about setting boundaries - for ourselves and our employers.
Some thoughts on how to create those boundaries:
Simply turn off the phone and blackberry.
Go on a real vacation - without the laptop.
Tell your boss that you're just not available at 7 a.m. on Saturday.
Schedule more outings or events after work so you have a reason to leave on time and separate yourself from the office.
As a former member of the 33% club, I can attest to all of this - setting the boundaries really does work. And I am more satisfied, more productive and much less stressed out. Have you been able to solve or prevent this problem? I would be interested in finding out what changes you've made and how they've helped.
On that note, get out there and enjoy your weekend...
Offices across the nation are abuzz with talk about the American Idol finale and according to our research, there is a good chance that many of you have been or will be talking about it tomorrow. Whether it's as good as prior years or not isn't important - it actually seems that more water cooler discussions are taking place (probably even as I write this) - and they may be getting heated as well.
I saw an amusing blog post on Time.com that covered our survey about the American Idol phenomenon in the workplace and I thought you would be interested in taking a look at the results.
The most interesting part is that 12% of women and 9% of men actually admitted to getting into a debate about American Idol contestants. And I know there are more of you out there who probably wouldn't admit to doing so. I hear it every week in our hallways.
Have you been guilty of this? Will it happen at your office tomorrow?
I can almost certainly guarantee it will here. So much for a quiet and productive morning...
I wanted to let you know that a new podcast featuring Spherion CEO Roy Krause is now available. In this report, Roy discusses his thoughts on the current environment for job seekers, including survey data which highlights the disconnect between workers' confidence in the economy and the health of the U.S. job market.
For a list of recent podcasts, please visit our pressroom.
I saw an interesting article on the Career Journal site yesterday that got me thinking. The article provided relevant advice for workers who wanted to change careers or fields. I am sure we have all thought about the "what ifs" when it comes to our jobs and careers.
What if I had chosen a better major or studied harder in college?
What if I went back to school?
What if I took the plunge and started my own business?
What if I pursued a contract, temporary or part-time engagement?
What if I made the switch to a career where I could work at something I'm passionate about?
The good news is that it really isn't as hard as you may think. By working for one year or 30, you have experience which can translate to other fields or professions. I always say you should never feel stuck in your current job, your industry or career path. The reality is that we will be working for a good portion of our lives and no one should have to endure '30 years to life' in something they hate doing. What a horrible prospect.
I know a lot of people who've made big changes in their lives, and for the most part, they're very happy they finally did it and wondered why they waited so long. So if you've been thinking about making a change, there's no better time to step up to the plate and do it. The job market is still hot, good talent is hard to find and I bet you'll find yourself in the driver's seat (and a lot happier too).
There is a broad trend we're seeing develop based on a large number of our clients throughout the country. And that is, more and more employers are looking for candidates who possess a mix of both technical skills (i.e. accounting, IT) as well as a decent amount of business acumen. A recent post on Job Search Secrets, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, also point out that this is particularly true within some high growth job markets in 2007; computer systems design, systems administration, cyber security, and management consulting to name a few.
If you're an individual looking to break into the hot IT field, I found a great cyber tool to get you started. Check out the YouTube video below called 'An Introduction to a Career in Network Support.' This video is part of a series by TechAnvil that gives an excellent background to some jobs within the IT field. They will give you a taste of what to expect from these jobs which can help you determine if they are a good fit for you or not.
Well, it's Valentine's Day again and what better time to share some interesting results from our office romance survey. Did you know that as many as 8 million Americans every year enter into an office romance? Not hard to understand why when you consider the sheer number of hours that workers put in at the office, it's a likely place to meet a love interest. I can attest - I met my wife of nearly 4 years at the office, although we didn't start dating until I had left the company... which brings up some interesting issues when it comes to dating coworkers.
Does dating a coworker jeopardize your career? Do you try to keep a relationship secret or formally announce it? What's the company policy? Spherion's latest Snapshot survey looks at these issues and how workers today feel about them. Here's what we found:
Derailing Your Career. According to the Spherion survey, 41 percent of U.S. workers think openly dating a coworker would jeopardize their job security or advancement opportunities.
What's the Company Line? More than half of U.S. workers say their employer does not have a policy regarding workplace romances, and 16 percent say their employer does have such a policy, according to the Spherion survey. Perhaps most noteworthy, nearly one-third of workers surveyed were not sure if their employer has a policy regarding workplace romances.
Mum's the Word. When it comes to secrecy and office romance, Spherion found that 41 percent of workers who had a workplace romance said it was conducted in the open, while 35 percent claimed they kept it a secret.
Cupid's Success Rate at the Office. Among those workers who have had a workplace romance, 30 percent say they dated for several months, 15 percent dated for several years, and one quarter resulted in marriage.
What do you think? Finding romance is great but is it worth jeopardizing a career? Or being the subject of office gossip?
This year's American Idol has delivered all the usual hype we've come to expect and more, even a new controversy. The question being debated in coffee shops and chat rooms across the country - have the American Idol judges gone too far in their criticism of idol wannabes? Well, as I watched this latest episode, it occurred to me that these "auditions" draw parallels to the job interview. And as I pondered this similarity, it may sound crazy but I believe some interviewers could take a cue from Idol's own Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
I wonder if it may be more useful (and frankly refreshing) for potential job seekers to get feedback on their interview performance right then and there. Now I'm not advocating that interviewers start name calling or commenting on someone's physical appearance. Let's be clear about that. All I'm suggesting is that for job candidates who have "auditioned" over and over again for prospective employers only to hear a "no" every time, it might be a nice change and ultimately fruitful to hear some very straightforward feedback from their interviewers.
How many times have we heard Simon remark "singing is not a career for you"? Well, this may be just the feedback candidates need if they are interviewing for jobs that are out of their league. Or, Paula often encourages Idol auditioners to "work on your range and come back in a year or two." Job seekers could benefit from getting very specific advice on where there might be holes in their qualifications and/or resume.
And while the promise of hearing candid feedback after an interview may make interviewees even more anxious, I suspect it wouldn't stop them from going to the "audition" in droves...
Are you under the impression that annual reviews are simply a required waste of time? Many workers believe that annual or year-end reviews are nothing but a "go through the motions" process that has little impact or reward for them on the other side. But the truth is it doesn't need to be that way. An article posted recently on Business Week.com gives some great advice to both manager and employees on how to make the most of the performance review process. I've got a few hints of my own for workers.
Know How the Process Works. Whether you are new to the organization or a veteran of the company, find out the details about how your company approaches the year-end review process. Ask to see the form(s) that are used so that you have a clear idea of what metrics or measurable items are being utilized to gauge your performance.
Help Your Boss Help You. Remember, annual reviews are another addition to your boss' "to do" list, and one they didn't ask for either. That means they may not be keeping meticulous notes on your performance throughout the year. Help them recall your accomplishments by writing them a memo, filling out the review forms yourself ahead of time, or email in a format that is easy to incorporate into your review.
Make Yourself Distinguishable. In other words, just because you did your job, and did it well over the course of a year, doesn't make for a compelling reason to hand you a raise or a promotion. Most bosses only have a limited budget to dole out raises so a big increase for you means a smaller raise to your peers. Make sure your yearly accomplishments focus on ways you differentiated yourself from your coworkers or took on additional responsibilities that were beyond the scope of your job description.
Remember, the old saying "you get out what you put in" holds true for annual performance reviews too.
I am always pleased when an industry leader "gets it." In this case, I'm referring to David Shaw, founder of Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions and former president of Pepsi Cola Canada. Shaw was recently featured in a Toronto Globe and Mail article, which was also the subject of a For Immediate Release podcast I recently heard. Throughout the article, Shaw contends that organizations will have to make serious changes to the way they recruit and retain top talent in light of the upcoming talent shortage, including offering more flexible schedules, telecommuting options, phased retirement to retain older workers and more focus on work/life balance.
This is all music to our ears here at Spherion because we've been espousing the very same advice for years. In fact, we've conducted significant research on this topic in order to track the effects of the talent shortage, better pinpoint what employees want and need from their employers, and how companies can align their retention efforts with those. Here is bit of what we've found.
We're already seeing signs of the labor shortage:
23 percent of companies are already dissatisfied with the talent available.
One-third of HR managers mention turnover/retention as a key concern.
On average, employers expect 14 percent of their workforce to leave within the next year.
31 percent of workers believe there is a turnover or retention problem at their company, and 39 percent of workers themselves expect to leave in the next year.
Less than half (44 percent) of workers believe their company is taking steps to retain its employees.
Next, when it comes to retaining talent there is no magic bullet. It is important to note that the order of importance of retention factors will shift and re-shift as the economy changes and workplace values evolve. For example, in our 1999 Emerging Workforce Study, Spherion found "training and development" to be a particularly high influencer on retention among workers. This may have been driven by pressure to gain the right skills for the digital age. Today, we have entered an age of compensation deflation, where little or no pay increases and rising benefit costs characterize the employment marketplace. Consequently, basics such as compensation and benefits have moved up as a concern for today's employees.
However, what's most alarming is the large disconnect between what employers believe their workers want in order to stay with the company, and what employees identify as retention factors. Take a look...
DRIVERS OF RETENTION
Employers' ViewEmployees' View
1. Management Climate 1. Financial Compensation
2. Supervisor Relationship 2. Benefits
3. Culture & Work Environment 3. Time & Flexibility
6. Training & Development 6. Supervisor Relationship
7. Financial Compensation 7. Culture & Work Environment
8. Time & Flexibility 8. Training & Development
Employers and employees wholeheartedly disagree on what drives retention. In fact, employers and employees ranked every factor of retention differently in terms of priority. The most concerning of which relates to time and flexibility. Work/life balance was the most important career priority for 86 percent of workers surveyed. It is ranked first on the employees list of retention drivers after standard priorities salary and benefits. Employers on the other hand ranked time & flexibility last among all factors relating to retention of employees.
Shaw was right on the mark when he said employers must make serious changes to the way they recruit and retain workers.
Now, we would never advocate spending 4 minutes of your workday watching a funny YouTube video, but in this case, we’ll make an exception…because WE made the video. Now playing on Spherion’s YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=spheriontheweb) is our new original Web video series, My Temporary Life, an over-the-top comedy about nightmare temp assignments, hardly Scorcese-caliber but will certainly have you laughing (at least we think so). After 50 years of finding people jobs, we think we’re pretty good at it. Now, we thought we’d try our hand at entertaining them as well.
The Spherion channel also contains our favorite user-created workplace videos shot at the office or for the office. Create and upload your own workplace video and we’ll add it to our channel. Or better yet, send us your worst workplace horror story and we may use it as an episode of My Temporary Life.
As more companies start hiring for the long-term, a candidate's fit with an employer's culture can be equally important as his/her ability to do the job. To gauge this fit, some businesses have implemented stringent interview processes - grueling rounds of interviews (both professional and social), homework assignments and everything short of selling one's soul. This marathon interview strategy, however, can force job-seekers to accept offers elsewhere, ultimately creating an big headache for growing employers.
There's no doubt that culture fit is important, but give these poor people a break. You can still recruit top talent without compromising your company's je ne sais quoi. The fact of the matter is, the potential candidate may currently hold a job and won't be able to jump through your company's hoops in a timely manner. Does that mean they aren't a good fit? Call upon your own ability to judge character and keep the interview process short, but thorough.
The U.S. unemployment rate is at its lowest in years and there are MANY available jobs out there. Don't lose your next top performer because you were waiting for them to dazzle you...because honestly, they likely won't wait for YOU.
We wanted to share with all our readers that The Big Time! really has made 'the big time' in the blogosphere! During the first ever Society for New Communications Research Awards Ceremony on November 2, 2006, Spherion was bestowed a merit award for our blog. According to their own blog:
"The Society's awards program honors innovative organizations and professionals who are pioneering the use of social media (i.e., blogs, wikis, podcasts, collaborative tools and other forms of participatory communications) in the areas of marketing, public relations and advertising, politics, entertainment, academics, and community and cultural development"
More than twenty awards were announced at the Society's gala and awards ceremony. All award submissions were conducted in the form of case studies that can be found on the New Communications Review Blog.
We wanted to take this chance to thank both our readers and contributors for all their hard work and insightful conversations since we launched this blog.
I just saw a great post on the Brazen Careerist blog about how to become an MVP at work. Instead of rehashing typical career strategies, the post provides relevant, straight forward advice on the concept of "managing up." Following these tips will help you support your boss more effectively, inspire confidence in your abilities and get more face time with the people that matter.
To some readers, the concepts may seem simple, but I think that's the point. It can be hard to take a step back from our work and analyze what really makes a difference at work. It's not really all that complicated.
I came across a great site that job seekers should find very helpful as they plan their careers. The site, CareerVoyages.gov, was set up by the Department of Labor and is geared toward students, parents and those looking to change careers. I really wish I would have had access to a site like this when I was thinking about what type of career I wanted to pursue because it really provides a great deal of information and advice on "in-demand" careers, salaries and how to get started on the job search.
I don't know about you, but I really didn't know what I wanted to do when I was in high school and college. This site would have helped me out and at least given me some ideas on where to focus my job search.
There are a few sections that I think are particularly good:
“Day in the Life” job videos -- so you can see what it is really like to be a chemist, customer service representative, sales person or even a welder
Parent section -- this area of the site helps parents discuss career options with their children and identify jobs that may be a good fit
Career Compass -- a page that helps job seekers find the jobs that interest them the most
I recommend that you check it out -- even if you are already well on your way to the Big Time!!
We’ve written about the positive benefits of blogging and how it can aid your job search, but the issue of using social networking sites on the job search may be a different story altogether. At least that's how workers look at it.
A recent survey we conducted shows that the vast majority of workers want to keep their social networking site activities just that – social. In fact, only 19 percent of workers surveyed last month said that they would post their resume on social networking sites like MySpace, Friendster or Facebook.
On first glance, this is understandable. People want to keep their social lives separate from their work lives and those sites are viewed as fun, free-spirited social domains. But unfortunately, employers don’t look at them that way.
We see an increasing number of employers and recruiters going to these sites to see what current and potential workers have posted. Those risqué pictures or comments about last week’s tailgate party may just come back to haunt you.
We also asked workers about the content on the sites, but only 33% said they would remove content they posted if they knew their employer or potential employer would be viewing it. Either the majority of people aren’t worried about what they have up there because it isn’t an issue or they just don’t care that their employer may see it.
Whatever the case is, it makes sense to review the content on the sites and consider what an employer may see or read about you. This isn’t to say that your MySpace page should be only used to promote your resume and skills, but if there is questionable content, you may want to think twice about keeping it up.
A word to the wise, pictures of the big keg party or last year’s Fantasy Fest escapades may be better off somewhere else. How would you feel if the person you were interviewing with (or worse yet, your current supervisor) made mention of them?
Earlier this week, I read an article on Inc.com that had some surprising statistics about workplace theft. It discusses Careerbuilder.com's survey which indicates that nearly 40% of managers say they have actually fired an employee for theft. I was really surprised. I know that office theft is certainly a big problem -- bigger than most people think, but didn't realize it would be *that* high. Another article stated that employers are losing up to $50 billion in stolen office supplies each year. That's another shocking number. What's even more concerning is that many U.S. workers (especially younger workers) don't believe taking office supplies is wrong. Our recent survey shows that 25% of 18-24 year olds have taken office supplies and 20% don't feel it's wrong to do so. And remember, this number reflects those that actually admitted to taking supplies. Older workers were less likely to have taken supplies and to believe it is okay to do so, but this certainly is a growing problem for employers. Maybe workers feel that taking a few office supplies from time to time isn't a big deal or maybe some feel a sense of entitlement to do so. In isolated cases, a pad of paper or a few pens don't make a big difference, but when a large portion of the workforce is doing it, those pens and pads add up to serious losses and could wind up costing you your job or even lead to jail time. It makes one think, is it really worth it?
Job burnout is no doubt a real concern these days. So it’s no wonder the blogosphere is filling up with commentary and opinions about where we all went wrong. And I’m jumping on the bandwagon. Two recent blog posts caught my eye regarding this issue.
A post on myITform’s blog references a recent study by Careerbuilder.com which found over 75% of respondents felt job burnout. The blog’s author goes on to reference his own research on the topic attributing some of job burnout to the increased number of hours Americans work.
On an about.com career planning page, it references the Miriam-Webster definition of burnout as "exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration." The most important word in that definition is “prolonged.” The article goes on to list possible causes of job burnout, including working harder because of leaner staffs, working hard without being rewarded and not having enough time away from work.
The bottom line is this – burnout by its own definition is when a worker experiences stress or frustration for a prolonged period of time. Employers can quite easily curb the prevalence of job burnout by making the environment at work less stressful by rewarding hard workers and providing the tools necessary to get their jobs done. It’s that simple. Yet in our own research, we found that only half of workers feel they have adequate resources to get their jobs done. And how many studies must be conducted before employers begin to acknowledge that work/life balance initiatives pay off in both employee morale and productivity?
However, employees themselves also need to take some ownership over their own job burnout. If you are experiencing prolonged stress because you aren’t being rewarded for working hard, I am here to tell you that it’s time to move on. Any employer, in this market, that doesn’t recognize the value of a hard worker doesn’t deserve to keep you.
And, when I see our own research indicating nearly one-third of workers are either unsure or don’t plan to take a vacation this summer, it begs the question – are these the same workers that are feeling the effects of job burnout?
Sadly, the prognosis for this problem ailing U.S. workers doesn't look good - not when employers are slow to take corrective actions and our own workers don't take the breaks they so desperately need.
With all of the discussions and media coverage about employees criticizing their employer - or even posting sensitive/confidential company information, I thought it would be interesting to find out how U.S. workers "really" felt about blogs and message boards discussing their employer. I called upon our polling firm Harris Interactive to help us track down the answer. Last month, Harris surveyed 1,348 workers from coast to coast. I was pretty surprised by the results. Not only do most workers (88%) not post or respond to blogs, message boards or chat rooms about their company, but 83% haven't even "read" them. As an avid reader of blogs and message boards of all types and sources, I thought that more workers would at least be taking a look at what is being said about their company. It's also interesting that most of those adding comments about their company are also posting. There aren't as many lurkers as I thought there were. I know that blogs and message boards don't exist for a lot of small companies, but the results made me wonder if workers are largely unaware of those that do exist and those that are popping up each day. Or could the recent, high-profile firing of employees who contributed to or divulged company secrets on blogs have workers running scared or even hiding their posting practices? My vote's on workers not being aware of the blog/message board's existence, but I guess time will tell ...I'll ask Harris to conduct this survey again at a later date and we'll see if/how the numbers change.
The nightmarish temp job ... we've all had them. Now you can relive every awkward, cringing moment with My Temporary Life, Spherion's original Web series based upon YOUR worst temping stories.
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