FIFTY per cent of Australian finance managers would do something else if they could have any other job in the world, according to a global study of 1,550 financial and HR managers
FIFTY per cent of Australian finance managers would do something else if they could have any other job in the world, according to a global study of 1,550 financial and HR managers. It found that most Australians are attracted to jobs in finance because of:
Opportunities to work with critical information 32%
An analytical focus on work 26%
Sound long-term career prospects 20%
Overall Australian males are more attracted to the prospect of working with numbers (39 per cent), whereas females enjoy the analytical and complex nature of finance (45 per cent).
Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting
IT workers burn candle at both ends
FORTY-THREE per cent of IT employees are compromising a healthy work/life balance by working excessive hours, including many late nights and weekends, in order to complete projects and meet deadlines. The survey of 1,200 IT contractors also found that 27 per cent work overtime on a regular basis with only 30 per cent working regular nine-to-five hours.
Source: Candle ICT
The young dogs can teach the old new tricks
NINETY-THREE per cent of employees believe that the young have valuable lessons they could pass on to their older colleagues, a study of 714 Australian workers has found. It also revealed that there was considerable differences in learning perceptions between the generations, with workers aged:
25-34-year-olds wanting to learn from younger colleagues 35%
19-24-year-olds wanting to teach older colleagues 18%
55 and over year olds wanting to learn from younger colleagues 5%
It also found that 32 per cent of those working in large companies would be glad to learn from their younger colleagues, while only 21 per cent working in medium-size companies felt the same way.
Source: Talent2
Companies missing M&A mark
SIXTY-FIVE per cent of merged companies are hitting their post-merger growth targets, and the level of dissatisfaction with communications around the merger process remains high, particularly among the critical middle management group. The study of 156 companies in the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe, found that middle managers are often at the sharp end of M&A implementation and when they are left out of the critical decision-making process they become disengaged and detached.
Source: Right Management Consultants
Innovation takes higher priority in multinationals
NINETY per cent of global companies say that innovation is already integrated in their firm’s current strategic goals while another 60 per cent report that it is part of their mission or vision statement, a survey of 100 multinationals has found. It also found that among HR respondents, 60 per cent have a formal process for gathering ideas from employees, with many saying that they are seeing growth in the number of ideas submitted and implemented, as well as financial payoffs from their implementation.
Source: The Conference Board
Employers remain cautious in setting pay-increase budgets
WHILE the US economy appears to be gaining strength, this will not translate into higher pay increases for most employees in 2004. According to a study of nearly 1,600 employers across the US, they plan to grant average pay increases of 3.3 per cent this year – the same as they granted in 2003. But the outlook is slightly better for 2005, with employers budgeting average pay increases of 3.5 per cent for next year.
Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting
OHS red tape holding back workplace safety
WHILE just over half of Australian employers regard workplace health and safety inspections as a problem, 63 per cent are concerned at the level of OHS regulation. The study of 1,685 small, medium and large companies. It also found that workers compensation was the dominant workplace issue of concern and 68 per cent of employers in regional and rural areas were concerned with OHS regulation.
Source: Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Family ties keep young Aussies at home
SIXTY per cent of young Australians are reluctant to work overseas due to their local family ties, according to a survey of 200 employees. However, more than half were keen to work overseas in the future, and despite threats of global terrorism only five per cent had changed their mind because of safety concerns.
Source: LINK Recruitment
Outsourcing paves way for strategic HR focus
SEVENTY-FIVE per cent of HR practitioners believe they’re able to focus on core business functions when some HR responsibilities are outsourced, according to a survey of 298 American HR professionals. In addition, more than half of HR professionals report outsourcing some HR functions help save money and control legal risks. The most commonly, completely or partially outsourced functions are:
Background checks 73%
Employee assistance/counselling 66%
Employee communication plans 10%
Source: Society for Human Resource Management
Binge working a new Australian phenomenon
FORTY-THREE per cent of Australian workers believe they are binge working, and mid level managers are most prone to working in fits and spurts at 37 per cent. Fourteen per cent blame their binge working on management being unable to keep constant workflows and then demanding work be completed in a very short space of time and a further 14 per cent cite their own inability to keep their concentrations levels at a peak as further reason for binge working.
Source: Talent2
Large US corporates developing in-house recruitment teams
FIFTY-SEVEN per cent of large American employers are developing in-house recruiting teams to improve the working relationship with outsourced recruiters, according to a survey of Fortune 500 companies. Cost reduction was the main reason for build in-house teams, while other factors included:
Better control of the recruiting process 55%
Familiarity with corporate culture 42%
Speeding up the hiring process 38%
Source: Jones-Parker Starr
