Today’s workers face a number of challenges that have grown in significance due to shifts that began with, or were accelerated by, Covid-19. That’s one finding from our extensive research, The Global Workforce of the Future 2022, in which we surveyed 34,200 respondents (both desk- and non-desk-based workers) across 25 countries.
The past two editions of this report, from May 2020 and May 2021, focused on the shifts in working practices that emerged from the onset and continuation of the global pandemic among desk workers.
As the world attempts to step out of the pandemic’s shadow, it’s important that leaders study how working practices, behaviours and attitudes continue to evolve—and to uncover new insights on what the future world of work can and should look like for all workers, including those who are not at desks.
To that end, we’ll highlight some noteworthy findings and recommendations.
How workers view the world of work
Despite overall satisfaction, workers feel their needs and priorities are not being met. That’s creating tensions that threaten talent retention.
After undergoing dramatic change brought on by the pandemic, work conditions have generally stabilised. Overall, 69% of workers say they are satisfied with their jobs (an uptick from 2021’s 67%), with non-desk workers reporting lower satisfaction than desk workers. In particular, non-desk workers are significantly less satisfied with their ability to maintain mental health and wellbeing than desk workers (52% vs. 65%).