The true testament of a leader is one who remains up-to-speed on what’s happening not just in their own organization and industry, but globally, too. Below are today’s most relevant statistics affecting executives, employees and the entire workforce as a whole.

Benefits & Compensation

  • 85% of employees feel financially stressed across all income levels, ages, demographics, and industries. (Source)
  • 62% of employees who applied for a new job in 2021 said they wanted a higher salary. (Source)
  • 70% of employees believe companies should disclose their overall pay gaps, but 24% of Americans say they think companies are deliberately secretive around salary and bonus information. (Source)
  • 73% of employees report that soaring living expenses have changed the way they envisioned their retirement (Source)
  • About eight in 10 (79%) of the job roles held by at least 50,000 workers or more, pay men more per hour on average. For job roles employing over 215,000 people that rises to 84% with a gender pay gap in favor of men. (Source)
  • 60% of employees say that when they’re job searching, they rule out employers who aren’t transparent about salary. (Source)
  • More men report having a salary increase in the past year than women (66% men vs 62% women) and out of those who received a salary increase, men on average received a 6.39% bump compared to women at just 5.24%. (Source)
  • Eight in 10 American workers (82%) believe their employer should increase salary and benefit offerings to address rising inflation, and 70% would like more holistic benefit options to better assess their progress toward financial goals in the current economic climate. (Source)
  • Three-quarters of American workers (77%) say they’d be more likely to participate or contribute more to their retirement savings if there were more personalized 401(k) investment options. (Source)
  • 39% of Americans feeling that their pay is unfair. (Source)
  • Only half (51%) of employees believe their employer takes closing the gender pay gap seriously, and less than half (43%) think the actions their employer is taking to mitigate pay gaps are effective. (Source)
  • Fewer than 33% of employees know whether their health benefits cover substance use disorder treatment or recovery support. (Source)

DE&I

  • 50% of employers have changed communications to be more inclusive (Source)
  • Employees of color are 50% more likely to use employer-sponsored health and well-being resources on a monthly basis. (Source)
  • Women account for 51.8% of all workers employed in management, professional, and related occupations. (Source)
  • Black women’s hair is 2.5x more likely to be perceived as unprofessional. (Source)
  • Nearly half (46.05%) of all women report experiencing gender bias in the workplace – almost 15% more frequently than men do. (Source)
  • Over a quarter of women of color (26.1%) feel dismissed “very often to almost always” because of their gender. (Source)
  • 78% of people believe they’ve been discriminated against during the hiring process because of their age. (Source)

Employee Engagement

  • U.S. employee engagement declined for the first time in a decade, dropping from 36% engaged employees in 2020 to 34% in 2021. (Source)
  • The ratio of engaged to actively disengaged workers in the U.S. is 1.8-to-1, down from 2.1-to-1 in 2021 and 2.6-to-1 in 2020. This is the lowest ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees in the U.S. since 2013, almost a decade earlier. (Source)
  • Companies that follow workplace well-being best practices report that employees are more productive (18%) and their workforce is more likely to be highly engaged (nearly 8% greater engagement). (Source)
  • When employees don’t feel supported, only 45% are engaged and only 58% are productive (versus 87% and 90% respectively). (Source)

Learning & Development

  • 77% of companies are currently offering apprenticeships or plan to by the end of the year. (Source)
  • Over 30% of the skills required three years ago will soon be obsolete. (Source)
  • 77% of global workers are ready to learn new skills or completely retrain, and 74% see training as a matter of personal responsibility. (Source)
  •  The total global spend on corporate training initiatives is estimated at $358 billion per year. (Source)
  •  71% of U.S. workers report that training and development increased job satisfaction. (Source)

Talent Acquisition

  • Talent acquisition ranks as the number one internal worry for CEOs worldwide. (Source)
  • 53% of hiring managers say their company eliminated the requirement for a bachelor’s degree for some roles in the past year. (Source)
  • 76% of leaders say they are likely to favor experience over education. (Source)
  • 75% of companies globally reporting talent shortages and difficulty hiring — a 16-year high. (Source)
  • 57% of candidates expect the interview process to take two weeks or fewer. (Source)
  • Four C-suite titles have seen hiring growth of more than 100% since 2019: chief diversity and inclusion officer (+168.9%), chief delivery officer (+165.6%), chief people officer (+144.3%) and chief growth officer (+117.5%). (Source)
  • 17% of applicants admitted to not applying for an opening because of “vague or confusing” language in the job description. (Source)
  • According to 77% of our respondents, most job postings target people under 40. (Source)
  • 79% of respondents say they would be more inclined to apply for a job if it offered flexible work arrangements. (Source)

Talent Retention

  • More than 1 in 4 employees don’t feel secure in their current position. (Source)
  • 57% of leaders are anticipating reductions in their workforce in 2023. (Source)
  • 46% of employers say attrition is a problem. (Source)
  • Almost half of employees (49%) say they plan to explore new job options in 2023. (Source)
  • More than two-thirds (69%) of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they have a great onboarding experience. (Source)
  • 86% of employees will take a cash bonus to stay at their company. (Source)
  • 46% of employees who don’t feel cared for intend to quit (vs. 11% of employees who do feel cared for) (Source)

Technology

  • Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by 99% of Fortune 500 companies. (Source)
  • 66% of organizations have been very or extremely effective in using technology to advance business strategy. (Source)
  • The HR Tech sector achieved a 20% YoY increase in funding activity in H1 2022 and raised over $3.5B in total for the year. (Source)
  • 74% of employees think inefficient IT support affects morale, and 91% agree productivity would increase if IT issues are resolved quickly in the workplace. (Source)
  • Women make up about 26% of the tech industry. (Source)
  • 57% of companies rely on IT. (Source)

The Economy

  • A recession/economic downturn ranks as the number one external concern for CEO’s globally this year. Inflation is second. (Source)
  • 87% of CEOs/CFOs globally believe we are currently in or entering a recession, and just under half (49%) believe inflation poses a higher risk to their organization due to wage and supply cost increases. (Source)
  • Two-thirds of people say they’re “extremely concerned” (32%) or “somewhat concerned” (31%) about their job security (Source)
  • The economic downturn has caused 30% of workers to change their 401(K) plan – 25% increasing benefits and 5% decreasing. (Source)
  • With a probable recession on the horizon, nearly three in 10 American workers (29%) are more likely to seek work outside of their existing job to supplement their current income. (Source)

Well-Being

  • 45% of employees report consistently low job satisfaction, which is associated with poorer mental health. (Source)
  • 87% of employers are very or moderately likely to expand their financial well-being program in 2023. (Source)
  • 78% of workers experience physical symptoms of stress, and 76% experience psychological symptoms. (Source)
  • Four-out-of-ten workers leveraged employee resource groups (ERGs) to discuss retirement and financial well-being (Source)
  • 55% of Gen Z employees rated their overall wellbeing as “thriving” or “good.” (Source)
  • 75% of employees are happy working at their current company. (Source)
  • Over half (52%) of large U.S. organizations said employees will have access to virtual behavioral healthcare in 2023. (Source)
  • A third of CFOs/CEOs plan to reduce well-being investments if faced with a deepening recession. (Source)
  • 53% of employees are satisfied with their work-life harmony (Source).
  • 55% of managers and workers agree that a lack of confidence in their abilities leads to increased stress at work. (Source)
  • Two-thirds of American workers (66%) are experiencing negative effects from the current economic environment. Nearly a third (30%) say it’s affecting their sleep, a quarter (25%) report strained relationships and nearly a quarter (22%) feel distracted at work. (Source)
  • Nearly half of today’s employees (42%) don’t feel cared for by their employers. (Source)

General Statistics

  • 6% of Fortune 100 don’t have human resources in the C-Suite (Source)
  • There are expected to be 36.2 million American employees working remotely by 2025. (Source)
  • 54% of remote or hybrid workers would consider leaving their role if their company made them return to the office five days a week. (Source)
  • 62% of workers feel remote work positively affects their work engagement. (Source)
  • 96% of executives admit they notice the contributions employees make when in-office more than when working remotely. (Source)
  • HR managers at Fortune 100 companies have 4x as many followers on social media as HR leaders at startups. (Source)
  • 40% of leaders reported their company to have high-quality leaders, a 17% drop from just two years ago. (Source)
  • 56% of employees stating that the pandemic has made them want to contribute to society more and 52% have begun questioning the purpose of their job. (Source)
  • 66% of people and 75% of Millennials consider sustainability when they make a purchase. (Source)
  • 75% of people find job posting buzzwords annoying, with the top three most hated phrases being: “Able to work under pressure,” “Proven track record,” and “A young, energetic team.” (Source)