THE base salary for salary exempt employees is expected to increase by 3.7 per cent in 2007, a minor increase on 2006
THE base salary for salary exempt employees is expected to increase by 3.7 per cent in 2007, a minor increase on 2006. A study of 1,028 organisations found that employers are relying more on bonuses as a primary means of attracting, motivating and retaining key talent in order to offset salary increases. The most common awards used were:
Special recognition awards 63%
Business incentives 62%
Individual performance awards 44%
The industries experiencing above average salary increases include energy (5 per cent) and construction/engineering (4 per cent), while workers in the computers and related products sector are projected to receive some of the lowest industry average salary increases at 3 per cent.
Source: Hewitt Associates
Life expectancy good for public servants
RETIRED male public servants are living more than one-and-a-half-years longer after they turn 65 than their fellow private sector Australians, with retired female public servants living an extra year. While Australian men can expect to live for 17.7 years after they turn 65, male retirees with public service pensions are actually living for 19.4 more years. Female public servants are also living longer than other Australian women – an average of 22.2 years after the age of 65, instead of 21.2 years. However, once this group reaches the age of 85, their mortality rate rises above the mortality rate of the general population.
Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting
Executives always connected
EIGHTY-ONE per cent of global executives are permanently connected to work through mobile devices. A survey of more than 2,300 executives from across the globe found that 38 per cent claim they spend too much time connected to communications devices. However, 77 per cent of respondents said that mobile communication devices actually enhance their work-life balance.
Source: Korn/Ferry International
What job seekers want
SIXTY per cent of job seekers say that challenging and interesting work is the most important thing they look for in prospective jobs. A global survey of more than 4,100 job seekers in 21 countries found the second most important aspect when job searching was potential for recognition and reward (58 per cent).
Other desired characteristics were flexible work arrangements (41 per cent), innovation (33 per cent) and approachability (27 per cent).
Source: Accenture
Young Aussie women the bread makers
EIGHTY-THREE per cent of Australian women aged between 18 and 24 believe they can meet their financial goals independently. According to 659 survey respondents, this attitude differs for women aged over 40, with 49 per cent claiming they cannot meet their financial goals without assistance from their partners. Furthermore, 53 per cent of women aged 18 to 24 said they would like to own their own businesses.
Source: Pantene
Soft skills important for UK employers
FORTY per cent of UK employers rate communication skills as the most important attribute in new recruits. A survey of more than 1,400 UK employers found that other desired attributes include:
Work ethic 39%
Personality 32%
Literacy 26%
Employers are placing a greater emphasis on such soft skills as opposed to skills such as numeracy (26 per cent) and formal qualifications (25 per cent).
Source: CIPD/KPMG
Generations X and Y tagged as lazy
FIFTY-SIX per cent of Australians believe Generations X and Y are unfairly labelled as lazy. However, according to the 1,960 survey respondents, 60 per cent of people believe Generation X works just as hard as baby boomers. Of respondents aged 55 or above, only 49 per cent claimed the lazy label was unfair, compared to 70 per cent of those aged 18-24.
Source: Talent2
Aussies make request for longer weekends
MORE THAN half of Australian workers would prefer to work harder during the week in exchange for a longer weekend. The survey of 1,279 workers revealed a desire to work 10 hours a day, four days a week. A further 95 per cent claimed that one flexi-day per month would also be useful. However, another 82 per cent would have no hesitations in leaving their current employer if greater flexibility was not offered.
Source: Linkme.com.au
Aussies staying in workforce longer
SEVENTY-THREE per cent of Australians are not yet ready to retire. While 65 years old may be the typical retirement age, 42 per cent of Australians will not be able to retire until after this age, according to 1,960 survey respondents. With 70 per cent of respondents fearing the looming skills shortage, leaving the workforce later is the most viable option for workers. Furthermore, 66 per cent of Australians do not contribute more than the compulsory amount to their superannuation.
Source: Talent2
Aussies overworked
SEVENTY-ONE per cent of Australian workers claim their bosses expect too much of them in terms of workload. A survey of 1,960 people found 42 per cent do not have the staffing or IT support required to do their jobs efficiently. Compared to five years ago, workers:
Are working more 70%
Are working longer hours 64%
Have obsolete job descriptions 50%
Overall, 48 per cent of Australians say they are overworked, claiming their organisations require more staff and technology support to make them more efficient.
Source: Talent2
