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New Survey From Express Employment Professionals

Latest Results from The Harris Poll

OKLAHOMA CITY — While U.S. hiring managers and job seekers feel career advancement is valuable, many job seekers are more focused on achieving personal fulfillment and work/life balance.

This is according to a recent survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals.

More than half of employed job seekers (56%) feel they are performing above and beyond at their company now compared to a year ago — and hiring managers are seeing similar effort (53%).

From the perspective of hiring managers, the definition of professional success for employees is advancing in their careers (73%). And 58% report that the only way for employees to achieve professional success at their company is to “climb the corporate ladder.”

Around 7 in 10 job seekers (71%) are similarly aligned on the definition of professional success (i.e., advancing in their career) and believe climbing the corporate ladder is the only way employees can achieve this (57%).

Most hiring managers also feel the best way for employees to add value to a company is advancing their careers (70%) — a similar proportion of job seekers concur (71%).

Meaningful Work vs. Advancement

Despite a strong majority of job seekers (86%) and hiring managers (83%) saying most employees want to advance in their careers, 57% of job seekers say they are not interested in “climbing the corporate ladder.” Workers appear more focused on personal fulfillment and balancing their personal and professional lives.

Most job seekers say it is more important to them to have a meaningful job than a high-level job title (83%) and define success more by work/life balance than climbing the corporate ladder (80%).

More than 4 in 5 hiring managers report similar perspectives; 85% say it is more important for workers to have a meaningful job than a high-level job title, and 84% report more employees define success by work/life balance than climbing the corporate ladder now compared to three years ago.

As a result, workers may choose to remain in their current role. However, more than half of hiring managers (55%) feel employees who have no desire to advance are looked upon negatively at their company; 64% of job seekers agree.

When thinking of employees who don’t wish to advance their careers, more than half of hiring managers (55%) describe employees negatively — most commonly linking these employees with a lack of drive (34%), being uncommitted (22%) and unengaged (22%). And more than half of hiring managers (56%) report employees who are not interested in “climbing the corporate ladder” have less long-term potential in their company.

While some companies seemingly desire employees with the drive to rise through the ranks, nearly 9 in 10 hiring managers (89%) agree that employees who are content in remaining in their current role still contribute to the success of a company. In addition, these employees may be thought of as more self-aware, as around a quarter of hiring managers describe them as knowing their limit (25%) and knowing what they want (24%).

“Whether it’s an entry-level position or an executive role, every job contributes significantly to the overall functionality and success of the workforce,” said Bill Stoller, Express Employment International CEO. “People’s ambitions vary, but one thing that all employees should have in common is to find continuing education opportunities to excel in their duties and always strive for improvement.

“Businesses would also be prudent to discover how team members individually define purpose to avoid mistaking contentment with complacency.”

Survey Methodology
The Job Insights survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,010 U.S. hiring decision-makers.

The Job Seeker Report was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,006 adults ages 18 and older.

For full survey methodologies, please contact Sheena.Hollander@ExpressPros.com, Director of Corporate Communications & PR.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena.Hollander@ExpressPros.com, Director of Corporate Communications & PR.

Latest Results from The Harris Poll

OKLAHOMA CITY — Most American companies have lost employees to retirement the past two years, taking valuable institutional knowledge and experience with them.

One possible solution? Mentorship programs.

While not a new concept, mentorship programs are gaining popularity as a way to combat this brain drain (i.e., when older employees retire without sharing knowledge of how to do their job to younger generations) and accelerate recruiting and retention in the current prolonged labor shortage.

This is according to a recent survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals.

U.S. hiring managers report the top reasons for retiring at their company as reaching what employees believe to be retirement age (65+ years old) (47%), no longer wanting to work (40%) and feeling they have enough money saved to retire (39%).

Job seekers’ perceptions regarding reasons for retirement are similarly aligned — feeling they have enough money saved to retire (58%), reaching what they believe to be retirement age (65+ years old) (53%) and no longer wanting to work (51%).

Regardless of the age of retirement, hiring managers and job seekers agree employees should retire whenever they are financially able to do so (84% and 85%, respectively).

Benefits of Mentorship

Although many companies don’t currently offer mentorship programs, hiring managers and job seekers see the benefits in doing so.

Around two-thirds of hiring managers (64%) say their company currently offers on-the-job training/upskilling followed by mentorship programs (40%) and reskilling (31%). Among those that offer mentorship programs, most cite doing so as a means of upskilling/reskilling employees (81%).

Around half offer this program to attract prospective employees (53%) and cultivate greater connection between employees (52%). Additionally, around 2 in 5 companies offer it to reduce brain drain (41%) and keep older employees engaged (40%).

For companies that do not currently have a mentorship program in place, more than half (52%) say they are likely to do so in the next two years.

Hiring managers who have not implemented mentorships feel the ability to upskill/reskill employees (54%), attract prospective employees (34%) and cultivate greater connections between employees (30%) are among the top benefits of offering the program in the future. Job seekers believe similar benefits are available when offering mentorship programs: upskill/reskill employees (70%), cultivate greater connections between employees (49%) and reduce brain drain (43%).

Around 4 in 5 hiring managers (82%) believe job candidates are more attracted to companies offering mentorship programs — 85% of job seekers concur; companies are more attractive to them if they offer a mentorship program.

And, as employees retire and companies search for a method to bridge the potential knowledge gap, mentorships may prove to be a viable option. More than 4 in 5 hiring managers (83%) feel these programs are absolutely essential in reducing “brain drain.”

“A mentorship program in companies is like a shortcut to success,” said Bill Stoller, Express Employment International CEO. “It’s a practical way to transfer knowledge, refine skills and foster a culture of continuous improvement. By connecting experienced individuals with those eager to learn, companies not only boost employee development but also build a stronger, more collaborative workforce.”

Survey Methodology

The Job Insights survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,010 U.S. hiring decision-makers.

The Job Seeker Report was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,006 adults ages 18 and older.

For full survey methodologies, please contact Sheena.Hollander@ExpressPros.com, Director of Corporate Communications & PR.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena.Hollander@ExpressPros.com, Director of Corporate Communications & PR.

Latest Results from The Harris Poll

OKLAHOMA CITY — Job seekers’ and employees’ desire for flexibility has upended the workforce, and while the majority of both groups don’t believe that 1099 employment is simply a fad (66% job seekers and 58% hiring managers), more than 7 in 10 believe it will never replace traditional employment (72% and 75%, respectively).

This is according to a recent survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals.

Despite signaling plans to hire full-time staff, companies appear to have a growing interest in alternative hires. Nearly 3 in 10 (29%) are planning to hire seasonal, temporary or contract workers. This intention aligns with the trends observed in the second half of 2022, where 28% of companies expressed similar hiring plans.

Currently, nearly half of U.S. hiring managers (47%) say their businesses employ 1099 workers, and 29% do not currently but have done so in the past. Only 24% say they’ve never employed 1099 workers.

1099 workers, also known as independent contractors or gig workers, are self-employed individuals or freelancers who are hired by businesses on a project basis. They receive payment for their services and are responsible for handling their own taxes, including income and self-employment taxes.

W-2 workers, on the other hand, are considered employees of a company, and their employer withholds income taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes from their paychecks. They could also be eligible for certain benefits.

Among companies that employ 1099 workers, hiring managers say 38% of the company’s production or work, on average, is completed by such workers. Nearly three-quarters of hiring managers whose companies use 1099 workers (73%) report doing so when they aren’t able to fill open positions with full-time employees.

Disadvantages of 1099 Employment 

While companies appear drawn to the flexibility of utilizing 1099 workers, employees may be similarly inclined. More than 2 in 5 hiring managers (45%) are concerned their company will lose employees to 1099 opportunities. In addition, companies report that over the past two years they have already lost 23% of their employees, on average, to this type of work.

However, in a similar survey conducted by The Harris Poll, respondents conceded there are disadvantages to the 1099 classification vs. W-2 status, such as:

• Lack of career support as a gig employee: 70%
• An unreliable means for long-term financial stability: 69%
• Less leverage as a gig employee than traditional W-2 employee: 65%
• Lack of proper compensation: 61%
• Feeling isolated as a gig worker compared to traditional W-2 employee: 57%
• Don’t have the means to develop skills as a gig employee: 46%

“W-2 work provides the perfect blend of flexibility and security, allowing individuals to pursue their passions while enjoying the stability of traditional employment,” said Bill Stoller, Express Employment International CEO. “It fosters a sense of unity and belonging, making employees feel like valued members of a team rather than solitary contributors, and allows them to experience the camaraderie and shared purpose that comes with working alongside colleagues in a supportive organization.”

Survey Methodology
The Job Insights survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,010 U.S. hiring decision-makers.

The Job Seeker Report was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,006 adults ages 18 and older.

The Gig Worker survey was conducted online within the U.S. by The Harris Poll from August 18th to 20th, 2023 among a nationally representative sample of 1,989 U.S. adults, where 746 have worked as gig employees before.