Nearly half of worldwide employees would not recommend their company or profession to their children: Survey

We’ve heard of quiet quitting, the Great Resignation and seen the upheaval in a tight labor market during the pandemic. But digging deeper into the workforce psyche reveals a greater issue at hand.

A new Workforce Institute at UKG survey based on 10 countries, shows that nearly half (46%) of the 2,200 global employees (and an additional 600 C-suite and 600 HR leaders in the U.S.) would not recommend their company or their profession to their children or any young person they care about. In addition, 38% of employees wouldn’t wish their job on their worst enemy (45% in the U.S.).

In fact, nearly two-thirds of employees (64%) would switch jobs right now if they could, while 45% simply “don’t want to work anymore.” This anti-work mindset is shared globally, but more typical among full-time (47%) vs. part-time (36%) employees, and most prominent in India (53%) and the U.S. (51%), where gradual declines in workforce activity illustrate how this perspective is impacting frontline work nationwide. Despite 45% of people saying they don’t want to work anymore, 84% say they would still work even if they won the lottery.

“People are disheartened because work is failing to meet their expectations, and there has been a massive shift in how people view the role of work in their lives,” says Dr. Chris Mullen, Executive Director of The Workforce Institute at UKG. “The pandemic forced most of us to reflect on our life-work journey and realize there are many more important things in life than work. People are looking for organizations to step up and support them, including new ways that have never been on the HR or leadership agenda before, so they can have flexibility and means to put time into what matters most to them.”

But work, of course, is a means to an end as 61% admit they go to work to collect a paycheck, “clock out,” and go home. Around one-quarter (28%) of employees say they are in a career with specific goals and ambitions that they wish to grow in time. Only 11% of workers feel that their job is their “calling.” The pandemic has caused 89% of employees to realize there are more important things in life than work, yet 85% say they don’t use all of their allotted time off each year.

Related: Workplace satisfaction at a 20-year low: Survey

Interestingly, 52% of employees around the world tell their children that meaningful work is extremely important, compared to 50% that would say the same about salary.

While adults across all three survey groups want financial security for their kids, they would tell their children to pursue work that provides the opportunity to care for and spend time with family (41% employees); a feeling of fulfilment (39% employees); and a successful career path (30% employees). Above all, 74% of people would encourage their children to choose a profession that is meaningful to them.