12 Workforce agility statistics:
what workers want, what HR can deliver.

Our Gloat Research Group survey connects the dots between employee wishes and
organizational capacity and distills what it takes to unlock workforce agility

Get the full report

Turbulent times upgraded workforce agility from a buzzword to a non-negotiable. Instead of sticking with the same tried-and-true approach, organizations must make bold changes to unlock the level of agility that the new world of work requires. Yet leaders keep running into the same roadblocks: legacy frameworks, tight timelines, and a resistance to change. Everyone feels the weight of these challenges, but it manifests differently for employees and HR managers.

Until now, leaders haven’t been able to see both sides of the story. Employee feedback might paint one picture, while manager input portrays another. Since businesses need a single source of truth to turn their vision of workforce agility into a reality, we polled over 1,000 employees and HR managers to get their insights on what it takes to fuel more dynamic ways of working. There’s a full report coming out shortly (sign up to be notified when it’s released), but we’re sharing the statistics that illustrate the most pressing workforce agility challenges right now:

Stats index:

HR Managers

Employees

Passion and purpose
are lacking

91%
HR Managers
53%
Employees
30%
HR Managers

If employees aren’t invested in the work they’re doing, it’s impossible for them to stay engaged as priorities shift. While nearly all HR managers recognize the importance of fostering their people’s ambitions, approximately one-third acknowledge that their organizations aren’t taking these factors into account. It comes as no surprise that more than half of employees feel like their employers are missing the mark when it comes to prioritizing their goals.

91%

of HR managers believe tapping into employees’ interests is important

30%

acknowledge they’re not collecting
information on it

53%

of employees report their employers don’t take their future interests into consideration

There’s no source of
truth for jobs and skills

42%
HR Managers
45%
Employees

Skills are the backbone of agile businesses. Without a full picture of workforce capabilities, it’s challenging for leaders to rapidly redeploy talent to meet evolving priorities in real-time. Yet, HR managers and employees agree that information about jobs and organizational structure needs a serious upgrade.

42%

of HR managers report their job
architecture is out-of-date

45%

of employees report their job descriptions are out-of-date, no longer relevant, or they don’t have one

Talent shortages pose
an ongoing threat

80%
HR Managers
28%
HR Managers
39%
Employees

Limited expertise and widening knowledge gaps slow response times to a halt. Yet many businesses are continuing to grapple with talent shortages, as most HR managers acknowledge. A lack of support is causing employees to feel the pressure, and the uptick in workplace stress levels likely fuels a vicious turnover cycle that leaders will struggle to contend with.

80%

HR managers are experiencing
a talent shortage

28%

report it’s critical

39%

of employees are
burnt out

Bandwidth holds
everyone back

54%
HR Managers
33%
Employees
32%
Employees

Both employees and HR managers are feeling the time crunch that comes with today’s accelerated pace of change. More than half of all HR managers are reporting that analyzing workforce insights is falling by the wayside due to limited bandwidth, while one-third of employees note that career development goals are being put on hold due to the time-consuming nature of their jobs.

54%

HR managers report struggling to get by in analyzing workforce insights or not having the bandwidth to get it done

33%

of employees don’t know what their career prospects at their current organization are

32%

don’t have time to work on this because their job is very consuming

Internal mobility is
a rising priority

74%
HR Managers
63%
Employees

When it comes to unlocking agility, internal mobility is a powerful accelerant. Once employees are empowered to take on projects and gigs across the organization, quick response times and do-or-die pivots are no longer out of reach. Our survey results show it’s also a win-win; employees are looking for more career development opportunities while HR managers are exploring new systems to activate internal mobility

74%

Of HR managers are studying and piloting new systems to focus on internal projects and gigs to make these opportunities more visible to employees

63%

Of employees are interested in being considered for different, new career opportunities within their companies

Subpar systems hinder
mobility and agility

58%
HR Managers
46%
Employees
36%
Employees

Despite the buzz around internal mobility, HR managers and employees both acknowledge that their organizations don’t yet have the systems in place to capitalize on it. From employees’ perspectives, that means workers aren’t incentivized to take on new opportunities, while HR managers believe their 
talent management systems are insufficient.

58%

of HR managers report their
talent management systems
don’t work well together,
fast enough, or are out of date

36%

of employees want to switch
to another team or department

46%

report there are no systems
or incentives to do so

The Gloat Research Group’s full workforce agility report will be coming out
in the next few weeks and it’s a must-read for anyone looking to empower
their organizations to embrace more dynamic ways of working.

Sign up below to get access to our detailed report on
workforce agility as soon as it’s available.

Sign up here to get the full report

12 Workforce agility statistics: what workers want, what HR can deliver.

Our Gloat Research Group survey connects
the dots between employee wishes
and organizational capacity and distills what it
takes to unlock workforce agility

Turbulent times upgraded workforce agility from a buzzword to a non-negotiable. Instead of sticking with the same tried-and-true approach, organizations must make bold changes to unlock the level of agility that the new world of work requires. Yet leaders keep running into the same roadblocks: legacy frameworks, tight timelines, and a resistance to change. Everyone feels the weight of these challenges, but it manifests differently for employees and HR managers.

Until now, leaders haven’t been able to see both sides of the story. Employee feedback might paint one picture, while manager input portrays another. Since businesses need a single source of truth to turn their vision of workforce agility into a reality, we polled over 1,000 employees and HR managers to get their insights on what it takes to fuel more dynamic ways of working. There’s a full report coming out shortly (sign up to be notified when it’s released), but we’re sharing the statistics that illustrate the most pressing workforce agility challenges right now:

Stats index:

HR Managers

Employees

Passion and purpose
are lacking

91%
HR Managers
53%
Employees
30%
HR Managers

91%

of HR managers believe tapping into employees’ interests is important

30%

acknowledge they’re not
collecting information on it

53%

of employees report their
employers don’t take their
future interests into
consideration

If employees aren’t invested in the work they’re doing, it’s impossible for them to stay engaged as priorities shift. While nearly all HR managers recognize the importance of fostering their people’s ambitions, approximately one-third acknowledge that their organizations aren’t taking these factors into account. It comes as no surprise that more than half of employees feel like their employers are missing the mark when it comes to prioritizing their goals.

There’s no source of truth
for jobs and skills

42%
HR Managers
45%
Employees

42%

of HR managers report their job architecture is out-of-date

45%

of employees report their job descriptions are out-of-date, no
longer relevant, or they don’t have one

Skills are the backbone of agile businesses. Without a full picture of workforce capabilities, it’s challenging for leaders to rapidly redeploy talent to meet evolving priorities in real-time. Yet, HR managers and employees agree that information about jobs and organizational structure needs a serious upgrade.

Talent shortages pose
an ongoing threat

80%
HR Managers
28%
HR Managers
39%
Employees

80%

HR managers are experiencing a
talent shortage

28%

report it’s critical

39%

of employees are burnt out

Limited expertise and widening knowledge gaps slow response times to a halt. Yet many businesses are continuing to grapple with talent shortages, as most HR managers acknowledge. A lack of support is causing employees to feel the pressure, and the uptick in workplace stress levels likely fuels a vicious turnover cycle that leaders will struggle to contend with.

Bandwidth holds
everyone back

54%
HR Managers
33%
Employees
32%
Employees

54%

of HR managers report struggling
to get by in analyzing workforce
insights or not having the bandwidth to get it done

33%

of employees don’t know what their
career prospects at their current organization are

32%

don’t have time to work on this because their job is very
consuming

Both employees and HR managers are feeling the time crunch that comes with today’s accelerated pace of change. More than half of all HR managers are reporting that analyzing workforce insights is falling by the wayside due to limited bandwidth, while one-third of employees note that career development goals are being put on hold due to the time-consuming nature of their jobs.

Internal mobility is
a rising priority

74%
HR Managers
63%
Employees

74%

of HR managers are studying and piloting new systems to focus on internal projects and gigs to make these opportunities more visible to employees

63%

of employees are interested in being considered for different, new career opportunities within their companies

When it comes to unlocking agility, internal mobility is a powerful accelerant. Once employees are empowered to take on projects and gigs across the organization, quick response times and do-or-die pivots are no longer out of reach. Our survey results show it’s also a win-win; employees are looking for more career development opportunities while HR managers are exploring new systems to activate internal mobility

Subpar systems hinder
mobility and agility

58%
HR Managers
46%
Employees
36%
Employees

58%

of HR managers report their
talent management systems
don’t work well together, fast enough, or are out of date

36%

of employees want to switch
to another team or department

46%

report there are no systems
or incentives to do so

Despite the buzz around internal mobility, HR managers and employees both acknowledge that their organizations don’t yet have the systems in place to capitalize on it. From employees’ perspectives, that means workers aren’t incentivized to take on new opportunities, while HR managers believe their talent management systems are insufficient.

The Gloat Research Group’s full workforce agility report will be coming out
in the next few weeks and it’s a must-read for anyone looking to empower
their organizations to embrace more dynamic ways of working.

Sign up below to get access to our detailed report on
workforce agility as soon as it’s available.

10 workforce skills statistics
every HR leader needs to know

What data from the Gloat Research Group reveals about building
skills-based workforces and what’s holding organizations back

Get the full report

With the pace of change accelerating and the threat of an economic downturn on the horizon, agility is a necessity for achieving operational continuity. While most executives see the value in shifting to a dynamic, skills-based strategy, changing the way work gets done isn’t easy. Rather than searching for a quick-fix solution, leaders must turn their attention toward employees and managers and devise a strategy based on the obstacles they’re facing.

To carve a path forward, Gloat, the pioneer in enterprise talent marketplaces and workforce intelligence, commissioned a survey of more than 1,300 employees and HR managers to get their perspectives on jobs, skills, and the future of work. This survey and report is a companion to our research series on the Great Resignation.  There’s a full report coming out soon (sign up to be notified when it’s available), but we’re sharing the top takeaways now so that you can fast-track your skills-based strategy.

Job information is out of date

HR managers

45%

report their job architecture is out of date

Employees

45%

say job descriptions are out of date, no longer relevant, or they don’t have one

Looking for a telltale sign that measuring work by jobs isn’t cutting it anymore? Both employees and managers acknowledge that their organization’s current approach to jobs leaves a lot to be desired. Rather than relying on static job architectures and descriptions that quickly become out of date, a skills-based organization is designed to be dynamic, real-time, and self evolving.

Jobs and skills information is hard to come by

HR managers

55%

report their current jobs and skills information only partially meets their needs

Employees

23%

say it’s not easy to find upskilling or reskilling programs

Skills-based organizations need a real-time and evolving inventory of workforce skills and capabilities so that leaders can develop, deploy, and tap into talent across the business. Unfortunately, most managers aren’t getting all of the job and skills information they’re looking for. Employees are also feeling this lack of transparency, so much so that more than 1 in 4 workers are struggling to find relevant skill-building opportunities.

Skills are out of sight

48%

report that their skills management inventory is a work in progress

19%

of employees report their current role uses few or barely any of their skills

While almost half of HR managers agree that their skills management inventory is a work in progress, input from employees shows there’s still a lot of work to be done. Approximately one in five workers note their current role uses barely any of their skills, indicating that many people could be doing much more.

Employees aren’t reaching their full potential

55%

are struggling to retain employees, meet their recruiting targets, and fill future skill needs

54%

report their current role doesn’t make good use of their skills

Without a comprehensive and up-to-date skills inventory, it’s nearly impossible for employees to achieve their potential and for managers to proactively address capability gaps. It’s no surprise that more than half of HR managers say filling future skill needs is challenging, while about one in two employees believe their current role doesn’t make good use of their abilities.

Skills challenges exist at every level

HR managers

54%

are struggling to get by in analyzing workforce insights, or don’t have the bandwidth

Employees

25%

report they don’t know what skills are required to progress or be promoted

When it comes to carving a path forward, both managers and employees are looking for new approaches. More than half of HR managers find analyzing workforce insights challenging; these executives are missing out on crucial information that could help them make more effective business decisions. At the same time, limited visibility into skill-building opportunities and a lack of transparency mean that plenty of employees don’t know how to take their careers to the next level.

The Gloat Research Group’s full skills report is a must-read for anyone wanting to make skills visibility and agile skill-building a competitive advantage.

Sign up below to access to our detailed report on the state of building skills-based organizations.

The Great Resignation 2.0:
12 statistics show that employees haven’t moved on

As the Great Resignation continues into its second year, a Gloat Research Group survey shows employee sentiments
about opportunity, purpose, and flexibility remain strong, while HR leaders slowly shift focus toward internal mobility. Download the complete report for an in-depth analysis:

Get the full report

The Great Resignation entered our collective vocabulary in 2021, but new research shows that its impact continues well into 2022. A Gloat Research Group survey of more than 1,300 workers and HR leaders shows that while employee sentiment remains largely unaffected—high burnout rates, disengagement, and the belief that better opportunities exist outside their organization—HR leaders are beginning to take action, with nearly 3 in 4 reporting that new systems of agile work are being studied or implemented to re-engage their workforce. Gloat Research Group’s newest report on the Great Resignation will be coming out in the next few weeks. It is an absolute must-read for anyone seeking insights on how skills visibility and agile skill-building can help retain employees and give them a new purpose during these trying times. Sign up below to receive this detailed report as soon as it’s available.

1.

Employees are still looking to leave their
organizations for growth and opportunities

2021

48%

of employees are looking to leave their organization

2022

52%

are currently looking for another job, or will start to look in the next 90 days

The sentiment of a mass employee exodus is well-earned. In our second survey, slightly more workers responded that they’re looking outside of their current organization for a new opportunity. Despite companies verbalizing the need for greater internal development and agility, the lack of action has left employees to continue wondering where else their future might be brighter.

2.

More employees see better opportunities elsewhere

2021

66%

of employees believed better opportunities existed outside of their company

2022

72%

believe better opportunities exist outside of their company

Nearly 3 in 4 of all respondents report that they think better growth opportunities exist outside of their companies, an increase from late 2021. Business and HR leaders need to address the challenge of creating, encouraging, and incentivizing internal movement to meet worker expectations.

3.

Employees continue to rank pay and growth
opportunities as their top reasons for leaving

2021

The top two reasons employees reported for voluntarily leaving their jobs were better pay (48%) and desire for more opportunities to grow and do new work (29%).

48%

29%

2022

The top two reasons employees report for voluntarily leaving their jobs are pay (58%) and the desire for more opportunities to grow and do new work (49%).

58%

49%

While finding better pay and the desire to grow remained the top reasons for employee departures, both increased over the past year. Without feeling valued—both financially and professionally—workers are hardening their belief that the only way to move up, be it in salary or opportunities for growth and advancement, is to move out. Business leaders have largely yet to tap the strategies of internal mobility, development, and learning to re-engage their workforce.

4.

Workers report they are still feeling burned out

2021

43%

of workers reported
feeling burned out

2022

39%

of workers report they are burned out

The past two years have been difficult, and workers continue to feel the pressure.  A similar amount of employees compared to 2021 report they are feeling burned out. Interestingly, most employees who report burnout also like their job—35.1% in our survey.

5.

Employees overwhelmingly want their work to
align with their values, passions, and interests

2021

61.7% of employees reported it was very important (29.2%) or important (33.6%) for their work to align with their values.

62%

2022

85.9% of employees reported it is very
important (49.5%) or important (36.4%) for their work to align with their values and aspirations. 

86%

Companies have the opportunity to continue focusing on corporate and individual purposes to engage their people with meaningful work. Providing agency to workers to directly contribute to tasks that energize them requires a commitment from leadership to institute agile talent strategies while maintaining business-critical functions.

6.

A career disconnect remains between employees and leaders

2021

54%

of workers did not believe their employers took their future interests and aspirations into consideration enough, or not at all

2022

54%

of workers report that their employers do not take their future interests and aspirations into consideration enough, or not at all

With more than half of employees still believing their company isn’t interested in their long-term aspirations, it’s up to leaders to show people how their interests and contributions are valued. As just 10% of HR leaders say that they have the tech and policies in place to connect workers with internal gigs, there is critical work to be done to meet the expectations of the workforce and the need for workers and companies to realize the potential of their employees.

Gloat Research Group’s complete Great Resignation 2.0 Report will be coming out in the next few weeks and is essential reading for understanding how employees are approaching the new state of work, and how organizations can respond to mounting challenges.

 Sign up to receive the full report as soon as it’s available.

Great Resignation Research Report

By now, we know the Great Resignation isn’t a short-lived fad. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime call to action. But what’s really going to move the needle on workplace turnover?

To answer this question, the Gloat Research Board commissioned a survey of over 1,000 workers, analyzed the results, and compiled the key insights you’ll need to future-proof your retention strategy. If you want to learn what’s really fueling the Great Resignation, download the report now.