The pandemic changed work, cultural and personal norms in the UK
Our methodology
Report data comes from two studies conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics (CGK):
- First study surveyed 1,000 UK workers from 13th Feb - 6th Mar 2020.
- Second study surveyed 1,000 UK workers from 29th Nov - 3rd Dec 2020.
- All respondents were from companies with 500+ employees, worked on a computer, and collaborated with others.
The 2021 State of Work Report uncovers the study’s most compelling findings about today’s surprisingly engaged and resilient digital workers, from the new challenges they’re up against to the ways they’re thriving against all odds.
Digital workers are resilient.
Digital workers have new expectations.
Digital workers are even more engaged.
Generations are impacted differently.
Good enough is
no longer enough.
Nearly half of UK workers are likely to leave a job if they are frustrated by work technology (Up from 33% prior to the pandemic).
On the other hand, the latest tech is attracting top talent. Digital workers are increasingly applying for jobs because they heard a company uses great technology. This rose 16% compared with pre-pandemic data.
A rapid digital evolution.
UK workers rely on technology to do their job 12% more than they did pre-pandemic. That’s a rise of more than double the US growth rate.
UK workers state technology is vital for teamwork and fostering collaboration in their job (a huge 24% rise since before the pandemic).
Digital workers are even more engaged.
UK workers feel that their daily work ‘very much’ impacts their company (up 16% since February 2020).
More than four in five workers feel ‘very invested’ in their current role. (That’s an increase of 27% since before the pandemic).
Barriers still need to
be overcome.
UK workers feel underappreciated (up 4%), like their work doesn’t matter (52%, up 4%), and that they don’t have good communication with colleagues or managers (43%, up 4%).
Gen Xers recorded a 12-point jump when asked if doing their best work is more important than pay (vs. Millennials’ 1-point increase).
Why the State of Work matters—takeaways for leaders.
COVID-19 changed digital work—a seismic shift that’s backed by data. The frequent 14-16 point changes in attitude of UK workers revealed in the report are rare and remarkable in trends research. But what does this mean for companies and leaders responsible for supporting their digital workforces through uncertainty?
From treating technology as a critical workforce issue to personalising the employee experience on par with your customers’, the results of this research are intended to help leaders understand and cultivate resilience in their digital workforces—to attract and retain talent, to stay competitive, and to be on the forefront of reshaping the future of digital work.
Related Resources
Forrester’s Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) of Workfront study
Read the report to learn how Workfront can provide companies with a 285% ROI over three years with a payback period of less than three months.
State of Work 2021 US Report
Taking the pulse of a workforce just weeks before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and again eight months later, revealed how drastically the pandemic changed digital work. It became clear that employees weren’t just working from home — they were working by very different, constantly changing rules. Read the 2021 State of Work Report to learn how technology expectations shifted and leaders can support their digital workforces through uncertainty.
Work Management Maturity Assessment
The journey toward work optimisation starts with understanding your organisation’s current level of work maturity. Take the assessment and learn how to optimise work — at every level.
Work management powers digital work—and workers.
Work management centralises and connects all facets of work—data, people, processes, and technology. It eliminates silos and integrates applications while surfacing insights to help companies optimise their people and processes.
Work management enables organisations to:
- Conquer conflict
- Foster creativity and innovation
- Promote autonomy and alignment
- Support agility
- Make work meaningful