2020/21 Workforce Insights

In Focus:
Happiness
at Work Index
What Drives Happiness at Work?
The world of work
changes quickly and often.
In order to succeed
and thrive, one thing
should remain constant:
a partner that understands
your needs and ambitions
— and delivers on both.
At PERSOLKELLY, our passion
is putting you first. We propel
our partners forward by
addressing their challenges
in fresh ways, backed by our
expertise and capability. It’s
this combination that creates
value: agility at scale; confidence
and care; resourcefulness
and innovation that leads to
better relationships and results.
With PERSOLKELLY, you get the strength
and support of an organisation that has
successfully been delivering this value across
Australia and New Zealand for decades.
Together with Programmed, we are a
leading provider of staffing, operations and
maintenances services across Australia and
New Zealand and one of the largest workforce
solutions providers in the APAC region.
Whatever the workforce challenge, we will
handle it with care and commitment. Together
our experienced, capable team of problem-
solvers will help you achieve more.
 Contents

Introduction 07

Half of the ANZ workforce are happy working for their companies 08

Employees will stay longer with companies if they are happy 10

Managers underestimate their employees’ happiness levels at work 12

Offering a pleasant working environment and work-life balance creates 18

true happiness at work

Tailoring benefits based on individual needs can improve 22

employees’ happiness at work

Employees with more opportunities to express concerns are likely 26

to believe their employer cares for them

Allowing employees to air concerns can help reveal the sources 28

of their unhappiness

Actions speak louder than words when it comes to employees’ concerns 32

Happier employees tend to feel more productive and dedicated 34

to their work

About us 36

September 2020
 Introduction
As the world returns to a ‘new normal’, it is even more
vital for employers to maintain a strong relationship
and connection with their workforce. Employees
will play a big role in determining business success
beyond the post-crisis recovery period. Their happiness
must continue to be a key point of consideration for
companies.
Our 2020/21 Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Workforce
Insights supports HR and people leaders in making the
case to their businesses on the need to create a happy
workforce and demonstrates the importance of employee
happiness to a company’s productivity and success.
In this report, we explore the current level of happiness
in the workforce, the factors driving happiness at
work, how employers should re-evaluate their benefits
package and the importance of employers taking into
consideration their employees’ needs.

06 07
 Half of the ANZ
How much of the workforce is happy working for their
current company?

workforce are happy

working for their 48%
41% Happy with company

companies.
Neutral with company

Unhappy with company

11%

How much of each industry is happy working for their

Happiness and mental Diving into industry sectors, current company?
wellbeing of employees 50% of the employees in
have increasingly become Industrial and Trades, and
key metrics for companies STEM (Science, Technology, Industrial & Trades 50% 40% 10%

to track. In the ANZ Engineering, Mathematics)

STEM (Science, Technology,
workforce, 48% of the companies reported that Engineering, Mathematics)
49% 42% 9%

employees reported they they are happy working with

are happy working for their their current companies; White collar professionals 43% 44% 13%

current company and only it is lower for white-collar

11% reported being unhappy. professionals (42%).
Happy with company Neutral with company Unhappy with company

08 Contents 09
 When employees are
happy, we can expect
greater engagement and
motivation in their jobs. This
can create a ripple effect
by spreading joy to other
colleagues and developing a
Employees who are happy
working for their companies
are more than twice as
likely to stay in their
organisations for another
four years or more, while
unhappier workers are much

Employees will stay pleasant work environment

in the company. Our survey
more likely to only stay for
another year or less.

longer with companies

confirmed a positive
relationship between
happiness at work and

if they are happy. talent retention, specifically

on the intended length of
service of an individual in
their companies.

How does happiness impact an employees intended length

of service for their company?

72%
4 years or more
31%

22%
1 to 3 years
22%

6%
Less than 1 year
47%

Happy with company Unhappy with company

10 Contents 11
 It is important that managers are aware
of the factors that could potentially
influence their employees’ happiness.

Managers
This study revealed a perception gap
between managers and their staff on the
employee’s happiness at work. In general,

underestimate employees are actually happier than their

managers perceive.

their employees’
happiness
levels at work.
What is the proportion of managers and non-managers
rating their employees as happy at work?
48%
45%
41%
39%
Managers rating their
employees’ happiness

Non-managerial employees
rating their own happiness

Happy with company Happy with job role

12 Contents 13
 In general, employees
are actually happier than
their managers perceive.
Another disconnect exists
between managers and their
staff when managers were
asked about the factors that
drive unhappiness among
employees.
14
How wide is the perception gap between managers
and non-managers in attributing an employees’
unhappiness to factors relating to their company?
Poor perks / benefits 21%
25%
Unfair treatment at work 13%
16%
Negative work culture 18%
19%
No recognition for work 21%
22%
Unpleasant work environment 13%
14%
Do not operate from a location I like 10%
9%
Managers are more likely to
think that their employees Company has bad reputation 8%
6%
are unhappy about their
belief in the company’s 8%
Not proud of job scope
vision and that their work is 5%
too challenging. Employees
12%
in non-managerial roles Do not believe in company’s vision
7%
are actually likely to be
unhappy about the tangible
factors, or work not being
What managers feel their What non-managerial
challenging enough. employees are unhappy about employees are unhappy about
Contents 15
 How wide is the perception gap between managers
and non-managers in attributing an employees’
unhappiness to factors relating to their job role?

Work is not challenging enough 11%

21%

Unsatisfactory salary 21%

29%

Not part of a successful and valued team 9%

17%

No opportunity for development 17%

25%

Work gives no meaning 12%

19%

Unable to utilise core skill set 11%

15%

Unable to work for a good manager 9%

11%

Unable to add value to the team 10%

10%

Inflexible work arrangements 12%

12%

No work-life balance 14%

12%

Unable to decide how work should be done 17%

13%

Work is too challenging 10%

3%

What managers feel their What non-managerial

employees are unhappy about employees are unhappy about

16 Contents 17
 Offering a pleasant
What are happy employees happy about
in their companies?

working environment and Pleasant working environment 62%

work-life balance creates Fair treatment 59%

true happiness at work. Operate from a location I like

Positive work culture

56%

56%

Good reputation 51%

What are happy employees happy about

To cultivate happiness in Culture, fair treatment, in their jobs?
the workplace, employers work-life balance and
should find out what creates a pleasant working
happiness for employees. environment rated highly Work-life balance 60%

in impacting employee
levels of happiness in their Flexible work arrangements 50%

roles and companies.

Enjoyable challenge 49%

Part of a successful and valued team 47%

Add value to the team 46%

18 Contents 19
 What are unhappy employees unhappy about
in their companies?

No recognition 62%

Negative work culture 62%

Unpleasant work environment 52%

Culture, fair treatment,
Poor perks or benefits 46%
work-life balance and
a pleasant working
Unfair treatment 41%

environment rated
highly in impacting
What are unhappy employees unhappy about
employee levels of
in their jobs?
happiness in their
Work gives no meaning 51% roles and companies.
No development opportunity 50%

Unsatisfactory salary 49%

Does not utilise my core skill set 44%

Not part of a successful and valued team 38%

20 Contents 21
 Tailoring benefits based Majority of those surveyed believe
on individual needs can companies should tailor benefits based
on their personal needs, with more of
improve employees’ those who have already been receiving
happiness at work. tailored benefits packages believing so.

How much of the workforce is currently receiving

Looking at benefits standardised, tailored or no benefits packages?
packages, employees with
benefits packages (30%) are
more likely to have received 8%
a standardised package
than one specifically tailored
30% Having standardised benefits package

Having tailored benefits package

to suit their needs.
No benefits package
46% Don’t know / Not sure
16%

22 Contents 23
 How much of the workforce believe their benefits
packages should be tailored?

74%
62% Having standardised
55% benefits package

37%
26% Having tailored
benefits package
13% 12% 14%
9%

Allowing employees
No benefits package
Companies should Companies should not No opinion
tailor benefits tailor benefits

to have a say about

their benefits
can also improve
workplace happiness With change being the only
constant and employees
Allowing employees to have
a say about their benefits

in the long-term. now adapting to the ‘new

normal’, companies should
can also improve workplace
happiness in the long-term.
take this opportunity to
pay more attention to their
employees and focus on
their individual needs in
tailoring benefits packages.
For example, in cities where
safe distancing measures
are still in place, flexible
work arrangements (FWAs)
and remote working can
be a huge benefit that
companies can offer to
their employees.

24 Contents 25
 Employees with Investing time in employees shows them
more opportunities that they are important to the company.

to express concerns Employees with regular

opportunities to express

are likely to believe

their concerns are 27%
more likely to feel that their
employers care about them,

their employer as compared to those with

rare or no opportunities

cares for them.

to do so.

How does an employee’s ability to express concerns

impact their perception of their employer?

93%

66% Expressed regularly or

whenever there’s a need to

34%
Expressed rarely or not at all

7%

My employer cares My employer does not care

26 Contents 27
 A good measure that
organisations can put
in place is to encourage
open discussions and
opportunities for employees
to express their concerns.
Employees with sufficient
opportunities to express
their concerns are three
Allowing employees
times more likely to be
happy. Those who have one-
to-one conversations with
to air concerns their managers at least once
a month also reported to be
can help reveal the
twice as likely to be happy.
sources of their
unhappiness.
28 Contents
With companies facing
tougher times and
measures today, it remains
important to stay proactive
in conversations with
employees. Managers can
show care by conducting
regular check-ins with them,
to maintain the sense of
teamwork and reducing
any potential feelings
of isolation.
29
 How does an employee’s ability to express concerns
impact their happiness levels at work?

71%
66%

Happy with company

Unhappy with company

23% 21%

Expressed regularly or Expressed rarely

whenever there’s a need to or not at all

63%

46% Happy with company

42%
30% Unhappy with company

Once a month Less than once

or more often a month

30 Contents 31

Actions speak louder
than words when it
comes to employees’
concerns.
Besides having the
opportunity to express
concerns, employees would
also like to know that their
employers are actively
working to address their
concerns whenever they
open up. Employees are
found to be significantly
happier when they have
employers who attempt
to address their concerns.
32
Employees are found
to be significantly happier
when they have employers
who attempt to address
their concerns.
What impact does an employer’s attempt to address an
It is important that employee’s concerns have on the employee’s happiness
managers do not leave with their company?
their employees’ concerns
unattended; this could 64%
cause employees to develop
a sense of futility, which My employer attempts
to address it
eventually leads them to 26%
22%
lose faith in speaking up My employer does not
attempt to address it
to their employers.
2%
Happy with company Unhappy with company
Contents 33
 Happier employees are also When your employees
much more likely to feel are optimistic at work, it
proud of the company, help becomes more and more
in their company’s word-of- likely that they will provide

Happier employees mouth recruitment efforts

and contribute to lower
value to their company
or even their customers.

tend to feel
turnover, as compared to Having these good
those who are unhappy. qualities in your employees,
happiness will eventually

more productive spread through the

company and improve

and dedicated
your business’s success.

to their work. How does happiness impact employees

in the following areas?

Proud of working for my company 88%

12%

Recommend my company to my friends/family 84%

12%

See myself in the long term plan of the company 74%

9%

Employees will go the extra mile for their Respect my manager/superior

32%
83%

companies when they are happy. Happy employees Feel productive at work 89%
45%
can enhance positivity in the company, increase 87%
Often smile while I am at work
general productivity, and spread the happiness 47%

to others by complimenting colleagues on their Dedicated to my job

53%
88%

good work, for example. Volunteer to be part of projects

46%
72%

Willing to work overtime to help a colleague 81%

66%

Compliment my colleague(s) when they do a good job 87%

78%

Employees happy with their companies Employees unhappy with their companies

34 Contents 35
 Methodology
PERSOLKELLY, Programmed and YouGov carried out an online survey from 27 December 2019
to 6 February 2020. Respondents were given a scale of 0 to 10 in the questions related to level of
happiness, with respondents scoring between 0 to 3 defined as ‘Unhappy’, 4 to 7 as ‘Neutral’ and
8 to 10 as ‘Happy’. The data and insights were derived from a sample size of 10,270 employed or
job seeking adults (aged 18+) in 12 markets across APAC (Australia: 2,110; Mainland China: 866;
Hong Kong SAR: 736; India: 759; Indonesia: 806; Malaysia: 744; New Zealand: 513; Singapore: 741;
South Korea: 719; Taiwan: 724; Thailand: 841; Vietnam: 711).

Definitions of key terms used in this report include Industrial & Trades — respondents who
work in the industry of Transport and Logistics, Manufacturing, Wholesaling, Natural resources
(e.g. oil, mining, forestry), Agriculture (farming, livestock); STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics) — respondents who work in the industry of Health or medical services, Technology
services, Engineering, design, or architecture, Personal care and services, Science; and White
collar professionals — respondents who work under Government sectors or office support in
all the industries, excluding those in STEM.

About PERSOLKELLY About Programmed

PERSOLKELLY brings together the legacy and
experience of four organisations that shaped
the staffing landscape over the past century:
Kelly Services, who pioneered the modern
temporary help industry in 1946; SKILLED,
who crafted the staffing industry in Australia
in 1964; Programmed, the leading provider of
operations and maintenance services across
Australia and New Zealand; and PERSOLKELLY,
the largest workforce solutions provider
in APAC.
Programmed is Australia and New Zealand’s
leading provider of staffing, operations and
maintenance services. As Australia’s largest and
leading provider of skilled managed workforces,
innovative training solutions and technical,
specialist professionals, we pride ourselves on
fostering strong and collaborative relationships
with industry, educators, government and our
customers. Our history and proven track record
span a history of more than 65 years, with
some customer relationships over 40 years.

Since 1946, our staff have taken fresh thinking
and an innovative approach to lead in a
constantly changing world. Having solved
business challenges across Australia and New
Zealand in STEM, Government, Professional
Services, ICT, Management and Executive
staffing, we’ve leveraged our learning and
insights to deliver greater value for our clients.
Every day, we are working as partners with
many of Australia and New Zealand’s largest
and leading businesses across major industries
including Mining, Oil and Gas, Defence,
Education, Aviation, Government, Health
and Science, Manufacturing, FMCG, Resources,
Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics.
We employ more than 35,000 people across
a broad range of industries to provide solutions
to more than 10,000 customers. This includes
1,300 apprentices and trainees.

36 Contents