American Worker Pulse Survey Report

The American
worker pulse
survey
COVID-19 insights and recommendations for employers
April 2020
April 22, 2020
Contents
1 About the survey
2 Key findings
3 Looking forward: Considerations for employers
4 Who participated
© 2020 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International
Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. NDP087291-1A
2
April 22, 2020
Executive summary
As COVID-19 transforms the American work experience, employers want to know
how their workers are holding up, what they can do to maintain employee morale and
productivity, and how they can begin to plan for a smart transition to a post-
COVID-19 environment.
For insights into these important questions, KPMG polled 1,000 full-time and part-
time workers in early April across a range of industries and company sizes.
3
April 22, 2020
Key findings
April 22, 2020
Key findings
Americans report Despite feeling But American Employees who

their companies prepared,Americans workers are resilient feel valued by their
communicated are finding it difficult and are finding ways companies are
well and most to cope with the new to make it work with reporting more
report feeling normal, especially their colleagues success during
prepared to parents and this time
transition management
5
April 22, 2020
Many of those Americans who transitioned to working remote report feeling

prepared for that change.
Four in five (82%)

American workers,
who before COVID-19
typically worked in an
office or other physical
location, felt prepared
for their transition to
82%
working remotely full-
Felt prepared
time.
How prepared did you feel to transition from working in an office or other physical location to working remotely?
6
April 22, 2020
Despite feeling prepared to transition, many are finding it difficult to adjust to

the new normal.
Parents are having

an especially hard
time adjusting
60% 56%
Say their job is
69%
more demanding Say finding a Say their job is more
now work-life balance demanding now
is difficult
64%
53% 49% Say finding work-life
balance is difficult
Say their mental Say they find
health has
worsened
work to be
overwhelming 57%
Find work to be
overwhelming
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding changes that occurred because of COVID-19?
Which of the following has improved or worsened due to the impact of COVID-19?
7
April 22, 2020
The higher Americans are up on the corporate ladder, the more likely they are
to find work more challenging.
67%
63%
55%
50%
47%
39%
Job is more demanding now Finding work/life balance is Finding work to be

difficult overwhelming
Management Non-management
8
April 22, 2020
The findings show that perception on culture and feeling valued pose a
greater risk at the non-management level.
32% 36%
Of non-management workers say they Of non-management workers say

don’t feel valued by their company company culture has worsened
compared to 19% of middle management compared to 25% of middle management
and 22% of upper management and 23% of upper management
9
April 22, 2020
Uncertainties about the future leave many feeling concerned.
63% 56% 57% 44%

are concerned are concerned are concerned are concerned
about reduced about the future of about losing their about technology
pay their industry job replacing their job
How concerned are you with the following regarding the impact of COVID-19?
10
April 22, 2020
But American workers are resilient and are finding ways to make it work
regardless of the challenges.
Four in five
American workers
Say their team is effectively

using technology to
communicate (87%)
70%
Say their team is
Say their team has collaborating better as a
effectively adapted to result of COVID-19 changes
working together (82%)
How effectively has your team used technology to communicate or adapted to working together?
Has team collaboration changed as a result of COVID-19 changes?
11
April 22, 2020
And now more than ever, American workers are leaning in to their companies,
saying they are more committed.
More than 8 in 10 American workers say they are more committed to their companies amid COVID-19 changes.
85% are more committed

And that’s especially true among management
96%
87%
80%
Upper management Middle management Non-management
How has your commitment to your company changed during COVID-19?
12
April 22, 2020
Commitment levels differ by industry, with healthcare and retail among the
lowest.
American workers in the insurance, banking and capital markets, and tech industries are more likely to report
feeling more committed to their company amid COVID-19 changes in comparison to workers in healthcare
and retail.
94% Insurance 92% Banking
92% Technology 80% Healthcare
78% Retail
13
April 22, 2020
And while many are adjusting to the changes, 3 in 5 feel things have
improved over time with the changes.
58% 59% 58% 64% 54% 59%

Has
improved Engagement
Engagement
Relationship Work-life Level of with my
with company Quality of work
with coworkers balance productivity supervisor/
culture
Has team
worsened
42% 41% 42% 37% 46% 41%
14
April 22, 2020
The findings are clear. Employees who said they feel valued by their company
were more likely to report success transitioning during this time.
Feel valued by Do not feel valued

their employers by their employers
Quality of work has improved 69% 47%
Level of engagement with supervisor/team has improved 67% 37%
Coworker relationships have improved 65% 42%
Level of engagement with company culture has improved 67% 31%
Work-life balance has improved 63% 41%
Level of productivity has improved 60% 37%
Mental health has improved 52% 31%
Employers clearly communicated changes to their work 70% 50%
Employers expressed concerned about their well being 72% 40%
Employers provided adequate resources to do their job 68% 31%
Employers laid out a plan on how the company transitions during this time 62% 39%
Effectively used technology to communicate 93% 69%
Effectively adapted to work together 88% 63%
Team is collaborating better now than before 75% 55%
More committed to company 94% 58%
Of the following, what has your company done in response to COVID-19 changes?
How effectively has your team used technology to communicate or adapted to working together?
Has team collaboration changed as a result of COVID-19 changes?
15
April 22, 2020
Looking forward:
considerations
for employers
April 22, 2020
As COVID-19 plays out, employers will inevitably begin to shift their focus from
resilience. To smooth that transition and position themselves for success, KPMG
recommends employers undertake these key additional measures:
Reframe the employee deal. Reframing the employee deal starts with
sharpening and reinforcing the employee value proposition by focusing on all
the factors that go into it, including compensation and rewards, development
and advancement opportunities, and workers’ physical health and safety. It also
requires maintaining and improving the employee experience, which for now
should involve reinforcing team dynamics, continuing to facilitate remote work
as needed, and upgrading leadership competencies to accommodate new
workplace realities.
Review how teams are tooled. As employers segue from short-term

response to COVID-19 to a long-term shift in how and where their people
work, they should boost use of the technologies they have found most
supportive of new ways of working—including increasingly important
tools like machine learning, robotic process automation and other
artificial intelligence applications that can help workers do their jobs
faster and better.
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April 22, 2020
Reskill workers. As new technologies continue to reshape the world of work, it

will be incumbent upon employers to make sure employees’ skillsets keep pace
and that the workforce in general has the flexibility needed to adapt to whatever
changes may lie ahead. Employers also must be prepared to deliver training and
education programs in a virtual environment when, in situations like the current
one, traditional environments are not accessible.
Invest in leadership. To address and prevent burnout in leadership ranks,

it will be critical for organizations to reestablish expectations and resourcing
for top-level leaders, making sure they have everything they need to do
their jobs and manage their emotional and psychological challenges amidst
ambiguity.
Start planning now for economic recovery. We suspect the economy’s

recovery will occur in stages as consumers gradually begin to feel
comfortable returning to public spaces and resuming pre-COVID-19 routines.
Employers must start preparing now for how they will respond—who will
come back to work first, what will be needed to ensure their safety and the
safety of customers, and what changes implemented during the pandemic
should continue even after it has passed.
18
April 22, 2020
Who participated?
Gender Generational breakdown Top five industries
39% 38%
represented
Technology
17% 22%
Male Female 6%
Healthcare
52% 48% Gen Z Millennial Gen X Baby
Boomer 19%
Company size Role in company
Banking
Small 51% 11% 10%
42%
Retail
Medium 30% 47% 7%
Insurance
Large 19% Upper management Middle management
Non-management
6%
Some categorical response rates in this survey presentation may reflect a threshold of less than 100 survey participants.
19
April 22, 2020
Contact us
Paul Lipinski
Principal, Human Capital Advisory leader
E: plipinski@kpmg.com
Matt Campbell
Managing Director, Human Capital Advisory
E: mscampbell@kpmg.com
Brock Solano
Managing Director, Human Capital Advisory
E: brsolano@kpmg.com
Some or all of the services described herein may not be
permissible for KPMG audit clients and their affiliates.
kpmg.com/socialmedia
The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular
individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such
information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on
such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
© 2020 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of
independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity.
All rights reserved. NDP087291-1A
The KPMG name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.

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The American

3 Looking forward: Considerations for employers

Americans report Despite feeling But American Employees who

Many of those Americans who transitioned to working remote report feeling

Four in five (82%)

Despite feeling prepared to transition, many are finding it difficult to adjust to

Parents are having

Job is more demanding now Finding work/life balance is Finding work to be

Of non-management workers say they Of non-management workers say

Uncertainties about the future leave many feeling concerned.

63% 56% 57% 44%

Say their team is effectively

85% are more committed

Upper management Middle management Non-management

How has your commitment to your company changed during COVID-19?

94% Insurance 92% Banking

92% Technology 80% Healthcare

How has your commitment to your company changed during COVID-19?

58% 59% 58% 64% 54% 59%

42% 41% 42% 37% 46% 41%

Feel valued by Do not feel valued

Review how teams are tooled. As employers segue from short-term

Reskill workers. As new technologies continue to reshape the world of work, it

Invest in leadership. To address and prevent burnout in leadership ranks,

Start planning now for economic recovery. We suspect the economy’s

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