Onboarding Seen as Critical by Execs,  While Seen as Failing by New Hires - Unhappiness Sharply Up

2 in 5 office workers are dissatisfied enough with their employers handling of the pandemic that they are planning to resign in 2021. The data from findings from a survey of 1500 office workers and 500 C-level executives based in the United States conducted by SilkRoad Technology in partnership with OnePoll reveals a disconnect between workers and leaders.

The survey sought to understand how office workers and C-level executives have adjusted during the COVID-19 pandemic, if perceptions of remote work have changed, whether elements of flexible work arrangements or remote work will be desired in a post-pandemic world, and how onboarding new hires was affected during the pandemic. It also identified what office workers and C-level executives would like to see improved in a company pandemic response as well as revealed executive priorities for 2021.

The rise in unhappiness stands in sharp contrast to findings from a CNBS/ SurveyMonkey poll of workers in May 2020. That research covered all workers, so it is not a direct comparison. That said, when isolated to remote workers (the majority of whom are considered "office workers") 88% were confident that their organization’s leadership was making the right business decisions to manage through the current environment. While only18% had considered quitting their job over the first half of the year.

While a relatively high percentage of officer workers appear to be unhappy with the response from their companies, executive leadership appears to be largely happy with their responses.

• 86% of C-suite respondents thought their company demonstrated commitment to their employees in 2020
• Over half of workers hoped their company would provide more support

Of workers who started a new job during the pandemic:

• 52% felt like they didn’t receive enough training
• 56% still have unanswered questions about their role

C-level priorities for 2021 include:

• 84% of executives agree that accelerating the path towards digital business transformation for long-term growth and profitability is a critical priority for 2021
• Finding new ways to serve customers and build resiliency without losing agility
• Identifying roles critical to accomplishing organizational strategy or facilitating a new digital business
• How to reskill talent to meet emerging needs

On average, over 80% of executives believe the orchestration of onboarding, performance management and learning are critical components to the successful introduction or transition of individuals to new roles (new hires, transfers and promotions).

“Ultimately, this tells us is that there is an opportunity to better support and enable employees through transitions, change or disruption, whether they are taking on a new role, taking on additional responsibilities or working from another location,” said Lilith Christiansen, Chief Strategy and Product Officer at SilkRoad Technology.