SEVENTY-FOUR per cent of Australian and US managers said the skills shortage impacted them negatively
SEVENTY-FOUR per cent of Australian and US managers believe skills shortages have impacted them negatively. According to the online poll of 200 managers, only 23 per cent of managers weren’t affected by the skills shortage, while one-quarter rated their relationship with their own manager as unsatisfactory. Others ranked the relationship as:
Good 44%
Excellent 29%
Average 12%
In addition to this, 57 per cent were not satisfied with their salary, while 38 per cent were.
Source: James Adonis
Women behind on super benefits
WOMEN SPEND only 18 years in the workforce, on average, due to childcare commitments, compared to men who are paid employment for 38 years. As a result, a case study has found the average woman is only likely to receive $124 per week in retirement from their super savings compared to men who receive $461 per week from super.
Source: maxsuper.com.au
Aussie workers want rewards
FIFTY PER CENT of Australian workers think their employers do not reward them with perks for a job well done. According to a survey of 1,723 people, laptops, bottles of wine and mobile phones were among the most common rewards for staff, while more unusual rewards included housekeeping for a weekend and paid aeroplane tickets to see ill parents.
Source: Talent2
Business intelligence top of list for executives
TEN PER CENT of global organisations’ business intelligence and performance management efforts are supported by a C-level executive, with a direct link to the business. Of the 350 organisations surveyed, 40 per cent said efforts were sponsored by specific executives, 25 per cent were sponsored by an IT manager and 25 per cent indicated that they had no executive sponsor.
Source: Gartner
Uni degrees not the be-all and end-all
ONLY 36 per cent of university graduates believe their degree relates directly to their job, a survey of more than 1,000 jobseekers has found. Of the employers and hiring managers surveyed, qualities such as the ability to learn quickly, creativity, leadership, teamwork and interpersonal skills as well as cultural fit were thought to be more important than a degree. Furthermore, employers sought individuals with relevant academic qualifications and life experience that could enhance their work performance.
Source: Onetest
Aussies want more time off
FORTY-THREE per cent of Australians have taken sick leave rather than annual leave. Despite the minimum four weeks annual leave that is mandatory in Australia, which is among the highest in the world, 40 per cent of Aussie workers said they do not think the four weeks paid-holiday was sufficient. In comparison, workers in Canada receive only 10 paid days off a year, while Hong Kong, Singaporeand Taiwan receive only seven days.
Source: Talent2
Small business looks up
MORE THAN 75 per cent of Australian small businesses are confident about their success in the coming year, with 67 per cent forecasting better business performance in 12 months time. More than half (57 per cent) of businesses surveyed indicated they will invest in their own business over the next six months, and 72 per cent said their sales outlook was positive. When it comes to WorkChoices, small business preferred the Howard government (39 per cent), compared to the ALP (24 per cent).
Source: MYOB
UK: Job seekers admit lying to get ahead
FORTY PER CENT of UK workers admitted they would lie on their CV if they could. Of the 1000 respondents, 42 per cent claimed they knew of individuals who had included false information on their CV, and the most likely types of CV fraud were to do with:
Salary levels 23%
Level of previous experience 14%
Dates of employment 10%
The survey also found 43 per cent of male respondents would falsify their CV if they thought they could get away with it, while 64 per cent of female respondents said they would not.
Source: BackgroundChecking.com
Aussies show little faith in overseas outsourcing
THIRTY-THREE per cent of Australian businesses outsource parts of their work overseas. However, survey results showed 77 per cent believed the quality of overseas outsourced work was inferior to that done at home, while 66 per cent of the 1,713 respondents said that sending work overseas had a negative impact on the Australian economy. In addition, 45 per cent of Australians said they would reconsider signing up for a service such as a mobile phone or internet contract if they found out that the provider had outsourced their customer service overseas.
Source: Talent2
US: Improving health a concern
SIXTY-THREE per cent of US employers plan to take a more aggressive approach in helping employees improve their health, using initiatives such as increased education, condition management programs and data analysis. As a result, companies offer or plan to offer:
Profiling of chronic health conditions 77%
Tools and/or programs to help manage health 70%
Incentives for initiative participation 48%
Less than 40 per cent plan to maintain their current focus on health care benefits, primarily concentrating on annual cost mitigation.
Source: Hewitt Associates
