THIRTY-FIVE per cent of Australian workers say they would take a pay cut in exchange for a shorter working week.
THIRTY-FIVE per cent of Australian workers say they would take a pay cut in exchange for a shorter working week. A survey of 457 people also found that in return for a pay cut, many were prepared to accept:
A shorter working week 35%
Flexible hours 21%
More annual leave 21%
Younger workers (aged 18-35) were more likely than older people (35 years and over) to accept a pay cut in exchange for extra holiday leave.
Source: CareerOne
UK: Spelling’s sticky business points
FIFTY-SIX per cent of UK workers rely on computer spell checks to proof their business documents. Further, more than half would not consider asking colleagues to read material before it was sent or printed, 74 per cent would not trust businesses that did nothing to discourage poor spelling or grammar and 30 per cent would not buy any product or service from such firms.
Source: Royal Mail
First impressions count
FORTY-FOUR per cent of Australian HR and finance managers say job seekers will do well to sell themselves quickly in interviews. The survey of 150 managers also found that job seekers should use the remaining time to provide supporting evidence and build on the established rapport, while managers who formed an opinion of a candidate within the first ten minutes of meeting them were most likely to come from:
New Zealand 52%
The UK 50%
Australia 48%
A further 23 per cent of HR and finance managers said it was important that candidates be well informed and research a potential organisation prior to interview.
Source: Robert Half International
US: Some workers may never retire
THIRTY-FOUR per cent of American workers are never planning to retire completely, but instead plan to keep working in some capacity into their later life. Twelve per cent of American workers want to work full-time following retirement, while 39 per cent want to work part-time and a further 49 per cent desire to change between periods of working and not working.
Source: AgeWave
Life winning the balance
EIGHTY-SEVEN per cent of workers would accept less money if it meant being able to achieve work/life balance. To date, however, marketing companies have been reluctant to offer part-time work, which may be due to the unfounded view that part-time staff are not as committed to a company as full-time staff, and that they do not work as hard.
Source: Market Partners
Working and playing hard a winning combo
SEVENTY-SIX per cent of American workers are satisfied with their work-life balance. Additionally, even though 39 per cent work more than 40 hours a week, professional demands rarely get in the way of family needs – just 14 per cent face a conflict once a week or more. Further, 70 per cent say they actually have fun while at work, despite 26 per cent who believe their employer does not encourage a healthy work/life balance.
Source: Hudson
Staff shortages will cause performance problems
SIXTY-TWO per cent of hiring managers believe the impact of ongoing vacancies could result in difficulties for their organisations when it comes to delivering core services. Further, more than two thirds believe the current lack of skilled candidates is having a significant impact on their business and 40 per cent are uncertain as to how to address the issue or have no plans to change their recruitment strategy.
Source: LINK Recruitment
Spam tops the tech rage list
MORE THAN thirty-five per cent of workers receive regular spam emails, according to a survey of 400 office workers in Sydney and Adelaide. It suggested that although modern technology had made many office and life tasks simpler, there was increasing evidence that it was adding to workplace pressure. Spam emails and computer crashes were the major sources of tech rage, with workers reporting an average of nine computer crashes per week.
Source: Square Holes
Tight lipped bosses keep workers in the dark
FIFTY-THREE per cent of employers do not communicate enough with their employees. Further, 69 per cent of blue collar workers and 58 per cent of mid level and senior managers are kept in the dark by their bosses. When it comes to finding out information, employers glean information from:
One on one staff meetings 11%
Company newsletters 8%
Blogs 2%
A further 30 per cent of employees believe their bosses do not even communicate to them the health of the business.
Source: Talent2
UK: Mentoring schemes in vogue
SEVENTY-TWO per cent of organisations use mentoring schemes and 88 per cent now expect their line managers to deliver coaching as part of their day-to-day work. As staff development continues to be an ongoing activity, using a wide variety of formal and informal learning methods, coaching and mentoring are expected become increasingly popular.
Source: CIPD
Employees know the salary score
FORTY-ONE per cent of Australian employees say they know the salary ranges of their co-workers. However, only 15 per cent openly discuss their salary with their co-workers. This knowledge impacts morale as individuals who feel they are underpaid in comparison with others based on responsibilities and similarity of jobs. Further, employees believe open salary policies lead to:
Resentment 48%
A climate of rivalry 13%
Jealousy 10%
However, 40 per cent of employees don’t mind if their salaries are open knowledge.
Source: LinkMe.com.au
