The C-Suite Disconnect, Expectations for Remote Onboarding

It’s been a while since our last data drop and my inbox is overflowing with the latest vendor research around employee engagement, satisfaction, experience and trust.

Each week, I receive a handful of surveys straight from vendors and researchers alike who want to share the work they’ve done. In today’s data drop, we’re going to take a closer look at the results of some of this research to provide more context and a bit of valuable insight into what has been, to say the least, an interesting year for HR.

The C-Suite Disconnect

A lot of executives feel like they’re in tune with their people and that through COVID, they’ve actually become closer to them. But research from Global Web Index and Vimeo regarding employee productivity, engagement and efficiency suggests otherwise, even down to the perception of how often high level executives communicate weekly updates.

According to the research, 54% of executives say that they stream major company updates at least weekly, but only 20% of employees agree. Other notable data points included:

• 48% of high-level execs are completely confident that they can maintain good communication between themselves and employees during the crisis…. Only 28% of employees agree 
• 44% of high-level execs are completely confident that their companies can maintain employee engagement during COVID 19 conditions… only 25% of employees feel the same 
• 41% of high-level execs are completely confident that they can provide adequate training and development for employees during the crisis… only 30% of HR professionals agree.

Remote Onboarding

The remote onboarding process can be tricky as HR teams navigate this new normal and completely overhaul long held hiring practices. One of the most common concerns is how regularly to contact a new hire. You want them to feel engaged, but at the same time, you don’t want to smother them or make them feel as though they’re being watched. So what is the right balance?

Recent surveys from PromoLeaf in conjunction with CensusWide looked at the experience of more than 1,000 people who have found a remote position during the pandemic. It found that during the onboarding process, 35% of respondents said they would like to be contacted at least once a day by video. Addtionally, 26% preferred 2-4 times per week.

For those who are new to the company, uncertain times can create a sense of discomfort around their job security and regular communication is a valued way to create a sense of security. The survey reports that 38% of respondents felt employers need to do more to keep people informed and 47% say they want to hear from leadership on a regular basis regarding how the pandemic is effecting business.

Switching Careers During COVID

A recent Harris Poll showed that 62% of Americans would consider switching jobs during the pandemic if they felt their company wasn’t doing enough to protect them. Recent research from iHire backs this up.

The recruitment and job seeking platform survey of 2,871 job seekers revealed that 61.8% of workers are considering a major career change in the coming year. Of that percentage, nearly half (28.6%) of respondents said a change is “very likely.”

Male vs Female Productivity

Work from home culture doesn’t impact us all the same way it seems. A study from Qualtrics found that 67% of male workers say they are more productive when working from home, while only 41% of female employees felt the same way. The same data also revealed over half of men said working from home had a positive impact on their career, while only one-third of women felt the same. Reasons for this may vary, but it points to a need for understanding the unique challenges each person faces.