Employers and Employees Embrace Automation but Fear Loss of Workplace Humanity
April 16 2018 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
MetLife’s 16th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit
Trends Study shows need for more meaningful ‘human’ employee
experiences
Rather than fearing the robot, employers and employees are
embracing its potential with open arms, new data from MetLife
reveals. But, they are worried about losing a sense of human
connection within the workplace.
More than half (56 percent) of employers have a positive view of
automation technologies that can help companies do human jobs
(e.g., Artificial Intelligence, analytics, collaboration tools,
robotics), compared with 20 percent who are pessimistic, according
to MetLife’s 16th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study
(EBTS).
On the employee side, nearly half (49 percent) are optimistic,
while only a quarter (24 percent) are pessimistic. This breaks down
along gender and generational lines: men (54 percent) are more
optimistic than women (43 percent), and millennials (63 percent)
are more optimistic than Xers (47 percent) or boomers (38
percent).
Still, both employers and their workers have trouble reconciling
their optimism around automation with their desire for human
connection. About half of both groups (46 percent of employees, and
51 percent of employers) worry the workplace is becoming less
human.
“While automation is the next workplace frontier, the biggest
fear is that work is losing its human touch, likely due to unmet
needs for personalization and recognition,” says Todd Katz,
executive vice president, Group Benefits at MetLife. “Employers who
are able to balance their—and their employees’—desire for
innovation through automation, while creating great work
experiences, will be tomorrow’s talent leaders.”
Creating Human Experiences
This year’s study shows that employees increasingly see work as
an extension of themselves and that personalized options—for
professional development, work schedules and employee benefits—go a
long way toward building loyalty and trust.
- Work/life
blending: Eighty-seven percent of workers whose employer
enables them to manage life in/outside of work are more loyal and
satisfied. Nearly three quarters (72 percent) report that having
the option to work remotely is important to their work/life
balance. And offering a flexible schedule—something 74 percent of
employees say is important when considering a new job—builds
loyalty. This is more critical now than ever; the percentage of
workers interested in contract or freelance work, as opposed to
full-time salaried jobs, has increased—partly because of the ‘make
your own hours’ lifestyle allowed. More than half (57 percent) of
employees say they’re interested in freelance work, compared with
51 percent last year. And it’s not just interest; 24 percent of
employees say they plan to leave their full-time jobs for freelance
work in the next five years. Choice and flexibility strengthen
loyalty.
- Financial
wellness: Customized benefits attract talent. Like last
year, employees want their employers to flex when it comes to
benefits. The ability to customize benefits to meet their needs (70
percent) remains a high loyalty driver—and is a greater recruiting
advantage than the ability to work from home (73 percent vs. 65
percent). Trending upward from 2017, six in ten employees—and 69
percent of millennials—now report that they’re willing to pay more
to have benefits choices that meet their needs, up from 52 percent.
One of their biggest needs? Financial wellness. Eighty-four percent
of employees describe financial wellness programs (e.g., planning,
education, workshops, tools) as offerings they want or need. Yet
only 18 percent of employers currently offer them. And fewer than
half (43 percent) of workers believe their employer understands
their personal financial pressures—down from 54 percent last
year—showing a missed opportunity for building connection and
trust.
- Commitment to ‘my
success’: While 77 percent of employers say they are
committed to their employees’ success, only 65 percent of workers
agree. Fewer than two-thirds (63 percent) believe their company
teaches them the skills they need to succeed in their current
position, and roughly the same percentage (60 percent) feel
appreciated most of the time. Workers who do feel appreciated at
work are 19 percentage points more likely to say their company is
committed to their success. Even small gestures can make a
difference.
The ROI of Great Work Experiences
Among employees who feel most ‘connected’ or ‘empowered’ at
work, more than 90 percent expect to still be working for their
organization in 12 months, compared with 81 percent of all workers.
They are also at least 17 percentage points more likely to say they
trust their company’s leadership and 11 percentage points more
likely to report that employee benefits help them worry less about
unexpected health and financial issues.
“With unemployment at a record low and top talent in high
demand, employers are looking for new ways to attract and retain
workers,” says Katz. “For employees to feel connected and loyal in
this era of automation, a positive employee experience is
essential. Employees want a say in how, when and where they
work—and they’re prepared to reward the organizations that deliver
with hard work, performance and loyalty.”
Research Methodology
MetLife’s 16th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study was
conducted from December 2017 through January 2018 and consists of
two distinct studies fielded by ORC International, a leading
business intelligence firm. The employer survey includes 2,501
interviews with benefits decision makers at companies with at least
two employees. The employee survey consists of 2,653 interviews
with full-time employees, ages 21 and over, at companies with at
least two employees.
About ORC International
ORC International combines real market evidence from multiple
sources with industry expertise to uncover insights that fuel an
organization’s most important decisions. A global top 20 firm, ORC
empowers smart, curious teams to make recommendations that drive
growth and shape the future of its clients’ businesses. To learn
more about ORC International,
visit www.orcinternational.com.
About MetLife
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET), through its subsidiaries and
affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial
services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee
benefits and asset management to help its individual and
institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in
1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds
leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin
America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information,
visit www.metlife.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180416005229/en/
MetLife, Inc.Judi Mahaney,
212-578-7977jmahaney@metlife.comorbliss integrated
communicationKatie Perkowski,
646-576-4114Katie@blissintegrated.com
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