People around the world would be willing to take a pay cut to be happier at work. What?
Since the HP Work Relationship Index (WRI) was unveiled on September 20th, I’ve been hearing from CIOs and business leaders around the world, all looking to discuss the findings and key takeaways from our research. It’s clear that everyone is following the topic of hybrid work closely to determine where the future of work is headed – and how our mindsets, skillsets and toolsets need to evolve to successfully harness that future.
HP’s Work Relationship Index was designed to surface the key aspects of this, and important insights that will help businesses globally as they strive to get this right for their employees.
The most fascinating takeaway from the Index for me is the extent to which drivers and expectations of our relationships with work have changed. Needs and priorities have shifted, possibly forever, and successful leaders will be those who are tuned in to this and understand how to position their businesses accordingly. So we are effectively in a new world order when it comes to work.
The findings on Tools – one of the Index’s six primary drivers of a healthy relationship with work – are a case in point. 72% of knowledge workers want a say in the technology and tools their employer provides. And 70% want access to technology that allows everybody to be seen and heard, wherever they are working. The research demonstrates that technology can – and must – now be considered as an important vehicle for employee engagement. No longer just a utility, the tech portfolio is emerging as a key driver of connection, enablement, flexibility and autonomy – and a potent symbol of a company’s values around empathy and agency.
This is why, last November, we launched the Workforce Solutions organization: a new business division of HP dedicated to helping business and IT professionals enhance their employees’ day-to- day digital experiences, so they are productive and collaborative and can be successful from anywhere. At HP Imagine today we launched a suite of new tools to help CIOs manage and optimize employee productivity.
What the Work Relationship Index makes clear is that time is of the essence. There is a moment to be seized, here, as businesses grapple with the future of work and the global workforce looks to see who will meet its growing expectations.
Which takes us back to where we started, and the Index’s most startling statistic: that 83% of employees are willing to take a pay cut in order to be happier at work. Wow. That alone underlines why CEOs, CIOs and all business leaders (including myself) need to sit up and take note of the value people place on having a healthy relationship with work – and what they expect that to entail.