Last year our Workplace survey justly merited the ‘Tough Choices’ title. No less so does this year’s heading of ‘Workplace Optimism’ accurately reflect the coalface situation for employers and employees. The constant barrage of negative economic coverage, understandable though it undoubtedly is, serves also to mask the changing dynamics of employment.
There are more people getting jobs than losing jobs now, borne out by the renewed hope of the jobless respondents to our survey, 64 percent of whom feel positive about their employment prospects for 2011. Those in work feel there is more choice and are increasingly job-mobile – a feature that disappeared from the market in 2009 and 2010 as employees clung onto their current positions rather than risk a move. That we will see a more active job market in 2011 is without question when you link these statistics to that of the number of employers who will be hiring in 2011 – over 70 percent of them.
Pay and benefits are increasing as well, as competition for talent stretches the remuneration offered to new hires and thus feeds back into pay increases for existing employees. Bonuses will return to the negotiating table (perhaps with the exception of the banking sector) and more benefits will be restored or added than will be cut.
This isn’t a return to the heady days pre-2007 when employees set out their own demands and largely found these met, if not by their current bidder then by the highest bidder in the employment auction that prevailed; but it is a very welcome sign that both employers and employees have a great deal more confidence in the business climate and how this will translate – more jobs, better money – into the world of work.
For a full copy of the Hays Workplace Optimisim Survey report, please click here.