When the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020, California businesses faced difficult choices to preserve their companies while maintaining their workforce — but many workers were affected beyond furloughs and layoffs. More specifically, 38 percent of professionals said their career has stalled since the pandemic — and for Gen Z (those ages 18 to 24), that number jumps to 66 percent, according to research from global staffing firm Robert Half. These career setbacks include:
In the same vein, 59 percent of senior managers who responded to a poll postponed promoting top performers due to the pandemic, and 78 percent of those respondents worry about staff retention as a result. And that worry is not unfounded, as nearly 1 in 3 respondents said they had a shift in perspective due to the pandemic and want to pursue a more meaningful or fulfilling job.
“As the job market continues to rebound, employers need to be concerned about retention,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director at Robert Half, in a press release. “Younger professionals, especially, want to be challenged and may leave if they’re unsatisfied.”
In its blog, Robert Half offers some retention strategies employers can implement, including:
“Now is the time for managers to invest in upskilling, review performance goals and develop mentoring programs that benefit all employees,” McDonald said.
Jessica Mulholland, Managing Editor, CalChamber
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The post COVID-19 Pandemic Contributed to Career Setbacks, Research Shows appeared first on HRWatchdog by Jessica Mulholland.