EIGHTY-EIGHT per cent of Australians in relationships or with families claimed their personal relations were in turmoil due to difficulties in maintaining work-life balance
EIGHTY-EIGHT per cent of Australians in relationships or with families claimed their personal relations were in turmoil due to difficulties in maintaining work-life balance. More than 34 per cent of the 1,200 respondents to the survey said they had no real choice when it came to balancing work and family commitments, but the following factors implemented by employers could assist:
More flexible working hours 42%
Option of part-time work 36%
Employer attitude/company culture changes 26%
The survey also revealed people who worked part-time or at home were more satisfied with their employment status (76 per cent) than those who worked full-time (71 per cent).
Source: Relationships Australia
Steering committee unaware of direction
ONLY 4 per cent of company steering committee members said they have a clear idea of their roles and accountabilities. A recent survey of 110 such members found 93 per cent admitted to not fully knowing their project governance accountabilities, and were in jobs they could not themselves understand. Furthermore, effective project governance directly increases the realised value of projects by 10 per cent and reduces the risk profile by 50 per cent.
Source: Capability Management
Women still the underdog
NINETY-TWO per cent of Australian females prefer working for a male boss, compared to only 89 per cent of males. A survey of 967 workers found that 33 per cent of females preferred the fact that male bosses make decisions quickly and on the spot, allowing them to get on with their job. On the other hand, those that did prefer a female boss liked the fact that female bosses are easier to make a personal connection with.
Source: Talent2
IT talent in high demand
THERE HAS been a 7 per cent increase in demand for both permanent and contract skilled ICT executives throughout Australia. On a state level, NSW has experienced the highest demand with a 13 per cent increase, followed by Victoria at 9 per cent. There has also been a 60 per cent increase in demand for business analysts and consultants, suggesting a high degree of activity in the scoping of projects and creation of business cases.
Source: Best International
Technology upping the workload
SEVENTY-TWO per cent of workers claim they are working longer hours than they did five years ago as a result of technological advancement. A survey of more than 1,000 workers showed email had increased the workload for 56 per cent of respondents, while 72 per cent admitted to checking work-related emails on weekends or holidays. Baby boomers were the worst offenders of tending to business during personal time, with 90 per cent checking emails, taking calls or thinking about work outside of the office.
Source: CareerOne.com.au
Stress a problem for healthcare workers
STRESS IS the most hated part of the job for 48 per cent of healthcare employees. According to a survey of 8,700 such workers, 46 per cent said current management was the second most hated part of their jobs, followed by a lack of feedback and appreciation (39 per cent). However, 63 per cent of employees said the people they work with are what they love most about their jobs, followed by hours of work (39 per cent) and variety and content of work (35 per cent).
Source: SEEK
Gen Y Aussies keen on travel
SEVENTY per cent of Generation Y Australians have already spent considerable time overseas and 65 per cent intend to spend time overseas in the future, according to a survey. In addition, more than 25 per cent of Generation Y have taken a gap year between university and work and more than 40 per cent hope to take a gap year during their career.
Source: STA Travel
Experience beats grades in war for success
FORTY-NINE per cent of Australian individuals with a combined net worth of more than $26 billion immediately undertook an apprenticeship, traineeship or on-the-job training when they left high school. According to a survey of some of Australia’s wealthiest individuals, the most important ingredients that a young person needs to succeed in their working life are:
Ambition 84%
Training/skills 71%
Encouragement 48%
Furthermore, those who completed an apprenticeship, traineeship or on-the-job training said this developed job skills (59 per cent), taught perseverance and dedication (56 per cent), provided the training to start their careers (36 per cent) and provided a great start to their working lives (32 per cent).
Source: Australian Business Limited
Aussies get end-of-year career blues
EIGHTY-SIX per cent of Australians are not happy in their jobs. According to a survey of 1,004 workers, 75 per cent had identified their ideal job, and a further 87 per cent are not even in the industry needed to get them there. As the year draws to an end, many Australian employees often tend to reassess their career, only to find they are not as happy as they once were.
Source: Linkme.com.au
India and China join outsourcing bandwagon
FIFTY-FIVE per cent of Indian and 46 per cent of Chinese companies are currently outsourcing parts of their operations. A study of 305 senior executives from Asia-Pacific companies found that 53 per cent of companies in Australia outsourced to India and 38 per cent to China. Executives revealed the main functions outsourced were:
Accounting, debt collection and tax processing 35%
Data collection and report writing 26%
In addition, Singaporean companies were currently outsourcing IT solutions (61 per cent) as were companies in Hong Kong (59 per cent) and India (55 per cent).
Source: KPMG
Aussie bosses rate highly
AUSTRALIAN bosses have received an average score of 7 out of 10 from their workers – a slight increase on recent years. According to a survey of more than 70,000 people across 28 countries, including almost 2,000 in Australia, some 65 per cent of Australian workers said their bosses rewarded them for a job well done while only 28 per cent said they were rewarded rarely or never. Australia was ranked sixth out of 28 countries for the best bosses.
Source: Kelly Services
