Flexibility, mental health more important to workers than career progression — research

New Zealand workers are putting greater importance on flexibility and mental wellbeing. Photo / 123rf

New Zealand workers are putting greater importance on flexibility and mental wellbeing than climbing the corporate ladder, according to new research.

It comes as burnout remains high among the workforce.

The 21st annual Randstad Workmonitor provided a snapshot of the attitudes, ambitions and expectations of 1000 New Zealand workers.

According to the research, workers were more likely to consider mental health support (86 per cent) and flexibility of working hours (82 per cent) as important, compared with career ambition (42 per cent).

“Ambition is no longer viewed in its traditional sense of career progression,” the report says.

“Workers are rethinking what they want, putting work-life balance, flexibility, equity and skilling at the heart of career decisions.”

More than half (61 per cent) say they’re not focused on career progression at present.

However, not wanting career progression doesn’t mean employees have no interest in self-improvement, the report says.

Over three-quarters (77 per cent) of respondents ranked training and development opportunities as important.

Twenty-two per cent said they would quit a job if they weren’t offered learning and development opportunities to future-proof their skills.

“As workers redefine the meaning of ambition and retreat from the corporate grind, organisations will have their work cut out for them,” Randstad country director Richard Kennedy said.

“Only by demonstrating that they [employers] truly understand workers’ ambitions, their desire for balance and the need for connection, can organisations set themselves apart as employers of choice and drive the talent agenda of tomorrow.”

Research last year from Deloitte found 52 per cent of Gen Z said the intensity/demands of their workloads left them feeling burned out, up from 45 per cent the previous year. For millennials, this increased to 46 per cent (from 40 per cent in 2022).

The Randstad Workmonitor also found Kiwi workers continue to demand more-equitable workplaces.

A third of respondents said they would not accept a job if an organisation wasn’t making a proactive effort to improve its diversity and equity.

The top issues were calling for gender pay equity (59 per cent), family leave for all employees (53 per cent), and the desire to be part of a diverse workforce (49 per cent).

“It is noteworthy that, while respondents still have clear demands on employers, they are slightly more cautious as they weighed in on these issues this year, and this could potentially be a reflection of greater economic pressures and fear of losing their job,” Kennedy said.

Randstad country director Richard Kennedy says its research shows a one-size-fits-all talent policy is not sustainable.

The research shows there is a push and pull between employers and workers when it comes to working from home.

Working from home is non-negotiable for over half of workers (51 per cent). Yet 33 per cent said they had been requested to come into the office more now than they were six months ago.

Fifty per cent said they would consider leaving if they were asked to spend more time in the office.

A new study by Massey University professor of management Jarrod Haar found the number of New Zealanders working from home has risen in the past year, along with the productivity of hybrid workers.

In December 2023, 41.7 per cent of participants were doing hybrid work, up from 28.4 per cent in June 2023 and 32.3 per cent in December 2022.

“This year’s research demonstrates that a one-size-fits-all talent policy is not sustainable,” Kennedy said.

“Today’s workforce know what they want and equitable, flexible workplaces are key to this.”

Cameron Smith is an Auckland-based journalist with the Herald business team. He joined the Herald in 2015 and has covered business and sports.