Sound right to you?
A new study suggests that close to two-thirds of Irish workers intend to seek a pay rise within the next 12 months.
Furthermore, the survey indicates that over half of Irish employees are likely to try and find a new job entirely inside the next year.
Conducted by PwC, the Irish Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022 illustrates a shift in power dynamics between employer and employee, with a prevailing sense of independence found among many Irish workers. The reason for this perhaps newfound confidence? People with specialised and/or scarce skills amidst evolving circumstances.
52,000 workers were surveyed across the world, 521 of whom are Irish. Per the report, favour a hybrid model of remote and in-person working. 35% “strongly disagree” that they can choose where they work. 29% say they did not receive environmental, ethical, social or well-being supports in their job.
As for the aforementioned specialist and scarcity factors? 37% of those interviewed believe that Ireland lacks people with their specific set of skills to carry out their kind of work.
As ever, money talks, with 76% listing it as the key factor when considering a new job. 56% of those surveyed said they are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months. Those looking to improve their current situation, meanwhile? Over six out of 10 respondents plan to ask for a raise in the next year.
In Ireland, half of those responding to the survey stated that they felt in some way fairly rewarded for their work – this is slightly lower than the global average. In terms of a gender split, men are more likely to feel that they are fairly rewarded as opposed to their female counterparts.
Four out of 10 respondents in Ireand said their household could meet bill payments each month and have money left over for savings, holidays and extras – 7% less than the global response rate.
Younger workers make for an interesting case study, particularly in light of many of them joining the workforce during the pandemic and thus perhaps not being present in a traditional in-person workplace environment.
According to the data, a worker in Ireland aged 18 – 24 is more likely to be:
- More concerned about being overlooked for opportunities
- More concerned about the impact of technology on their jobs over the next three years
- Less satisfied with their job
- More likely to ask for a raise or promotion
- More likely to change some aspect of their working life, such as changing working hours or switching employers
“There is a tremendous need for businesses to do more to improve the skills of workers, while being conscious of the risk of polarisation if opportunities to develop aren’t provided right across society,” said Ger McDonough, partner for people and organisation at PwC Ireland.
“At the same time, employees are not just looking for decent pay, they want more control over how they work, and they want to derive greater meaning from what they do.
“These are linked: by acquiring skills, employees can gain the control over the work they are looking for. Leaders have to adapt to build the teams needed to successfully deal with the challenges and opportunities of today and those yet to come.”
You can read the full report here.
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