LAHORE: A global research study finds that 78 percent of people felt their companies were more concerned about their mental health now than before the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, 78 percent of people feel "stuck" professionally and personally (77pc) and 90pc of people say their meaning of success has changed since the pandemic started.
Moreover, 89pc of people want technology to help define their futures. The study of more than 14,600 employees, managers, HR leaders, and C-level executives across 13 countries found that people all around the world have felt stuck in their personal and professional lives, but are ready to regain control of their futures. In the study conducted by Oracle and Workplace Intelligence, an HR research and advisory firm, over 6,000 respondents joined this global study from Asia-Pacific countries including Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.
The study finds that more than a year in lockdown and the continued uncertainty due to the pandemic has left many workers in emotional turmoil, feeling like their lives and careers are out of control, but companies are taking note and are taking steps to protect their employees' mental health.
A majority of respondents (80 percent) have been negatively impacted by the last year, with many struggling financially, suffering from declining mental health, lacking career motivation, feeling lonelier and feeling disconnected from their own lives. However, on the upside, the majority (78 percent) also felt that their companies were more concerned with protecting their mental health now than before the pandemic.
The study revealed that people are motivated to make changes, but are facing big challenges. Despite struggles over the last year, people in Asia-Pacific are eager to make changes in their professional lives. The results showed that 93 percent of people used the past year to reflect on their lives and 90 percent said the meaning of success has changed for them since the pandemic. The study suggests that in order to retain and grow top talent amidst changing workplace dynamics, employers need to pay attention to employee needs more than ever before and leverage technology to provide better support. The study revealed that 89 percent of people want technology to help define their future by recommending ways to learn new skills, identifying skills they need to develop and providing next steps to progress towards career goals. Interestingly, 82 percent of people would make life changes based on robot recommendations and 88 percent believed robots can support their careers better than a human by giving unbiased recommendations delivering resources tailored to their current skills or goals or quickly answering questions about their career.
Commenting on the findings of the study Shaakun Khanna, Head of HCM Cloud Applications Strategy, Asia Pacific, Oracle, said that "the pandemic has set a new course for the future of work. Surprisingly, despite feeling stuck in their lives, anxious about their future, trapped in the same routine, and more loneliness than ever before, employees are feeling more empowered.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021