​Structure, boldness, lack of boundaries, and a win-win mentality are all signs of a robust, sustainable career culture that will help businesses attract and engage talent. ​In the changing world of work, the only job security lies in professional mobility. A new “contract” is needed in which career development is embedded in culture, so organizations can enhance competitive capabilities at the same time individuals can enhance their professional skills and employability. Here are the key characteristics of a culture of career development.  ​Structure and accountability A career development culture has a management framework designed to facilitate an individual’s career growth. It is not just a loose collection of resources. A career culture provides a structure to align career goals to business needs to competencies valued by the organization and to available opportunities. ​This requires clear paths for advancement, growth for specialists who want to advance but not necessarily to leadership, talent assessment to identify workforce skills and focus career development, processes to create connections between career aspirations and specific business needs and leadership accountability to achieve team members’ career aspirations.  ​Win-win opportunities Leaders need to learn how to identify intersections where business objectives meet individual career aspirations in order to create win-win opportunities for growth. The skills acquired in a project should be well-aligned to the needs of the organization while enabling the individual to advance toward career goals. Given an opportunity to take on more career projects, employees are more likely to be engaged in work and loyalty to the organization will increase.   ​Understanding that talent doesn’t belong to a department or an organization In a seeming paradox, to keep a valued employee longer, managers may need to talk about where an employee sees herself working next. When a manager is open to discussing career development, the discussion moves to a deeper, more meaningful level. ​This is a foreign idea for managers who don’t even want to let a talented team member work outside their own department, much less outside the organization. This mindset needs to change to one in which leaders actively support career growth for the employee no matter where it leads.  ​Allowing employees to fail In a developmental culture, employees are given assignments that test their strengths and skills. They are allowed to fail and to learn from that experience without retribution. This is particularly critical for high-potential talent who need stretch assignments. ​Cycling people through different roles and exposing them to a variety of challenges will accelerate their growth and flexibility. This approach involves risk and some leaders may fail, but an agile organization makes quick adjustments. A culture in which vulnerability is accepted is a sign of maturity. It enables people to perform to a level that may even surprise them.

​Organizations can build their brand by focusing on the hiring experience – which has positive or negative ripple effects.The experience of hiring an employee is just the start of a journey. Even if a job candidate isn’t hired, the process starts to create a perception of your company in other people’s minds.  More than half of potential employees say that a negative hiring experience makes them less likely to buy a company’s products or services in the future, according to findings published in  Add to Cart: Candidates are Consumers, Too. There’s a ripple effect too: 61% would tell others about a negative hiring experience, while 50% say the negative experience of a friend would make them less likely to buy a product or service from that company. This is why it’s important to pay attention to the impact that hiring experiences can have on future purchase decisions. But the hiring process can be used positively, too. Here are 5 ways organizations can strengthen their employer brand, along with examples of how ManpowerGroup has helped organizations implement these recommendations.  Make a case for investment It’s important that HR teams quantify the impact that employer brand has on sales, and vice versa. This can demonstrate that HR teams help solve broad business problems, not just talent problems. Example: A fashion retailer who planned on entering a new market required significant investment in order to fill a large number of job openings, while simultaneously establishing its brand in the region. We worked with them to develop effective and consistent messaging, and implemented a comprehensive marketing plan to introduce the retailer to the public – encompassing broadcast media, organic social messaging, advertising and more. The outreach reached more than 200,000 people across the duration of the campaign. In total, 100% of vacancies filled, and the communication push impacted a far greater population.  Help overwhelmed recruitersMany HR teams are overwhelmed by requisition loads and administrative burden. This takes their focus away from brand building. Expanding headcount in HR functions or providing support through outsourcing can ensure their employer brand gets the focus it deserves. Example: A large financial services and retail banking company turned to ManpowerGroup Solutions when they had a backlog of hundreds of priority requisitions that needed to be addressed immediately. They decided to outsource this to our team, and we designed a solution for these hard-to-fill, specialist roles, with a significant emphasis on innovation. We used cutting-edge CRM technology, social media, events and name generation research to clear the backlog of 100+ priority requisitions within six months of program launch. Be Transparent One of the key things that job seekers look for from a potential employer is transparency in salary, job description, opportunities for advancement and culture. In fact, 42% of candidates say that a lack of employer-employee trust has a negative impact on their purchase behavior. There are plenty of low-cost, practical tactics to ensure ongoing transparency in the recruitment process, such as responding to job applications with feedback and surveying existing employees to find out what they really think about your organization.  Example: A global renewable energy company was hiring across 46 countries, and had inconsistent processes and candidate communications, which led potential candidates to feel that they lacked transparency. By conducting a thorough region-by-region review of their entire recruitment process, we were able to address the challenges that had emerged from their decentralized recruiting processes. Internal HR experts were transitioned to focus on operational efficiency and employee relations, to ensure that the internal employer brand is consistently advanced. Employer branding initiatives were redesigned and relaunched, working with local stakeholders and in local languages. By improving its transparency, the company now enjoys a stable global recruitment strategy, which has enabled 6,300 hires in two years. Cultivate the Consumer Talent Pool Lots of companies are investing in talent communities, which look to engage rejected applicants for future job vacancies and build relationships with passive candidates. Your customers already understand and interact your products and services. In many cases, they will share your core values too, and could make ideal new recruits. With this in mind, it’s important that marketing, sales and HR teams come together, to incorporate HR messages into broader brand communications, to entice these individuals into your talent pipeline. Example: A telecommunications giant faced a number of recruitment and retention challenges, and needed to find a more sustainable source of talent. By making their marketing and talent acquisition efforts more integrated, they were able to target existing customers with recruitment marketing messages. They were able to use their marketing spend for the dual purposes of cultivating customers and candidates, and they have been able to grow both their talent pool and their potential customer base as a result. Pose as a Secret Shopper Secret shoppers have been used in the retail industry for decades. The same tactic can easily be applied to the hiring process, to help HR executives understand first-hand what the hiring experience is like. From glitches in your online application process, to insensitive automated replies, much can be learned by walking in the shoes of the people you wish to attract. Example: An institute of higher education was experiencing low job applications, even though they had invested in a number of targeted marketing activities to promote their job opportunities. By auditing their approach through secret shopping, we found that there were a number of technical issues with their application process, such as broken links and page timing. On top of this, their systems were unable to parse data from uploaded CVs, and there were an exhaustive number of application pages. The secret shopping system can weed out these seemingly hidden problems from the organization, which are readily apparent to those in the system.  Want to learn more about the impact of positive or negative hiring experiences on buying behavior? Download the whitepaper  Add to Cart: Candidates are Consumers, Too. ​

​How can employers attract and retain talent by helping workers to thrive?What does it mean to thrive at work? The answer will vary, but since the pandemic, many have re-evaluated their work and life priorities. The conclusion? Today’s workers want more. They want to be empowered to grow, nurture their mental fitness and physical well-being, find meaning and purpose in their work, and define success on their own terms. After two years of surviving, people want to thrive. Amid the highest talent shortage in 16 years, employers must listen, rethink and act to attract and retain the very best talent. We asked over 5,000 workers from around the world (Australia, France, Italy, United Kingdom and United States) what they need to thrive at work. We then took it a step further by partnering with leading behavior change technology company Thrive to help employers turn insights into action to ensure both organizations and individuals alike are resilient and primed to succeed:1. Pushing the Flexibility Frontier: Understand What Flexibility Means for All.The recent rapid adoption of hybrid and remote working paved the way for many workers to redefine work with more control, choice and flexibility. It’s this flexibility, in many different forms, that will be the lasting legacy of the pandemic, with almost all workers (93%) now saying that they need flexibility to thrive at work. But what does flexibility at work mean? We’re not just talking about knowledge workers being able to work remotely and flex their schedule around other priorities; workers across all sectors and job roles are asking for more flexibility. What we heard is that workers want more control:  45% would like to choose start and end times, while 35% want to choose where they work based on their daily needs and 18% would work a four-day work week for less pay to achieve better balance. There is no one-size-fits-all solution but by offering choice and flexibility employers will succeed in attracting and retaining talent.2. Rewriting The Rules of Leadership: Prioritize Trust and SupportWorkers are looking for more when it comes to their relationship with work and their employers. Mutual trust, a supportive environment and meaningful work are essentials for workers to thrive, and they are willing to vote with their feet to get it. Leaders today need to combine meaningful, purpose-driven work (important to 70% of workers) with a strong culture of trust right across the organization as workers say both trusted colleagues (79%) and leaders (71%) are central to thriving at work. To achieve this, organizations must equip managers and leaders with the right skills to manage empathetically and effectively, providing guidance, support and coaching to nurture potential and enhance the employee experience.3. Thriving – The How To… : Respond to Women and Men’s Differing NeedsIn the wake of the pandemic, women and men have differing priorities and flexibility needs. Overall, flexibility at the start and end of the day (49% women; 42% men) is more important than extra vacation time (33% women; 39% men). Working for organizations with shared values (69% women; 65% men) that provide mental fitness support (60% women; 54% men) are also key factors. Employers who take steps now to offer both women and men the flexibility they need to thrive will have the greatest chance of attracting and retaining the best talent from the widest pool.4. Forging A Family Friendly Future: Support Parents’ PrioritiesThe collision of home, work, and school life over the past two years has led parents to reassess and reprioritize their lives. Flexibility tops the bill when it comes to what parents want, particularly choosing when they start and finish work, but that’s not all. Parents have tuned in to the importance of balance, well-being and belonging at work, and they are willing to walk to get it; in recent months parents have left their jobs in greater numbers than non-parents. It’s critical that employers listen to working parents and offer the flexibility they need to thrive, including opportunities for career progression (75%); and to learn new skills (73%); with help to stay healthy (56% want fitness resources; 54% want healthy food options).5. Fighting Burnout, Building Mental Fitness: Move From Awareness to ActionMental well-being is no longer a ‘nice to have;’ an effective strategy to promote mental fitness is increasingly critical to business success. One in four (25%) workers now actively want more mental health support from employers to protect against burnout. However, despite growing awareness of the importance of managing mental wellbeing, 38% of workers have not used mental health resources at work or are unaware that these exist. A powerful step employers can take is to destigmatize conversations around mental health, raising awareness and putting support in place. ​Mental health concerns won’t be solved overnight but it’s important for employers to create work environments where mental health is better understood, acknowledged and protected for the long-term well-being of their employees.The future of work is far from certain, but a resilient and thriving workforce is critical for organizations to successfully navigate intensifying talent shortages and the ongoing repercussions of the pandemic. Workers are asking for more flexibility and, ultimately, more choice. The employers who are willing to stop, listen and take action to provide what workers need to thrive will reap the rewards. 

​Co-authors:Ruth Harper, ManpowerGroup, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer Dr. Aaliya Yaqub, Thrive, Chief Medical Officer​In recent years we’ve seen a shift in people’s attitudes toward work. Where work was once thought to define who we are and how we fit in the world, work now needs to “work” for our whole lives. So, what do we really want from work? Increasingly we want to be empowered to grow, nurture our physical and mental well-being, connect to our sense of meaning and purpose, and define success for ourselves.  When we asked workers what would help them thrive, 93% said flexibility was important - with 45% saying they would like to choose start and end times to thier working day.  Workers across different sectors and professions today want more choice over when, where and how they work. Andpilotprograms have shown that giving people more flexibility leads to a happier and more productive workforce. Getting this right makes sense for individuals and for businesses. With talent shortages at a 16-year high and 75% of employers struggling to fill roles, the pressure is on to meet workers’ needs. ​So, What Do Employers Need To Do? Creating the right environment for people to thrive requires both empathy and trust. Shaping the culture of an organization has traditionally been a “top down” responsibility, led by People/HR teams, but in reality managers are at the forefront of workplace culture. Over half of employees who quit their jobs during the pandemic didn’t feel valued by their organization or their manager, or felt they didn’t belong. Managers are having daily conversations with workers about balancing their responsibilities, managing their days around childcare or elderly care, and ensuring they feel fulfilled and rewarded. ​One of the most effective ways managers can help workers (and themselves) to feel more in control of their lives is by introducing Microsteps: small, science-backed steps that build sustainable healthy habits. These actions can help managers to support a thriving workforce. ​Here Are Four Ways to Help Managers and Employees Thrive: 1. Shift from a workplace-centric to a human-centric culture Work needs to be a place of psychological safety, where employees feel they can be honest without being judged. Equipping leaders and managers with the right skills to manage empathetically will enhance the employee experience. ​More than ever, it’s important for managers to create an environment where authentic connections are possible, and where people feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work — whether they’re in an office, working remotely, or in a hybrid workplace. Listening to people and showing that their views are of value builds trust and enhances connections with colleagues. One Microstep for managers to try is opening your next meeting with a personal question rather than a work-related one. Asking simple, direct questions about the other person shows respect and forges a deeper connection. ​2. Redefine management It’s rare for people to have the innate ability to manage, but these skills can be learned. Helping managers develop their skills will enable them to better support people’s mental well-being and individual work needs.  ​Workers most impacted by the pandemic are those on the front lines – in retail, factories, and hospitals. With high levels of burnout across the board, managers have a role to play in encouraging positive behaviors to support well-being. Finding moments throughout the day to recharge and connect can have a big impact. Managers need to encourage these moments; it can be as simple as encouraging employees to take a walk outside during a break, take an actual lunch break, or focus on their breathing during a moment of stress instead of reaching for their phone.  ​3. Measure performance by output, not hours As Adam Grant, Professor of Management and Psychology at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and Thrive Board Member recently pointed out, “We should think of tasks that need completion ... rather than hours.” To help workers thrive, greater flexibility must lead to a focus on what is achieved, rather than how, where or when it’s done. ​For managers, acknowledging that presenteeism is not a measure of business success lends greater trust to individuals. Giving people flexibility enables them to maintain focus at work, helping to enhance productivity. ​Managers can support this by encouraging employees to set “focus time” for deep work (and let others know by putting it on their calendars). They can encourage ending meetings 5 or 10 minutes early to allow everyone the time back to recharge and avoid virtual fatigue. And they can lead by example, by letting team members know when they step away from work — to be with family, to attend an appointment, or to sign off for the day. This shows that recharging isn’t a reward for working hard and burning out — it’s a part of work that allows us to avoid burnout and achieve our best performance.   ​4. Emphasize purpose-driven, meaningful work The connection between purpose-driven work and thriving at work is clear. Nine out of ten employees would accept a pay cut to do more meaningful work. How can managers help? They can bring an organization’s purpose to life by encouraging workers to look after themselves and the world around them; it starts with small steps that build connections between organizations and employees. ​Starting meetings by asking workers how they’re feeling and what they’re grateful for acknowledges people’s purpose and what matters to them. Offering time out for volunteering demonstrates a commitment to doing good and having a positive impact on society. ​Organizations have a responsibility for workers’ well-being and ultimately their ability to thrive. Leaders and managers have a huge impact on those around them. Role-modeling their own healthy behaviors and acting as champions for others’ well-being gives employees permission to take care of themselves and those around them, and in doing so helps to sustain a thriving workforce. ​To learn more about what workers want and what employers need to do now to ensure both organizations and individuals alike are primed to succeed, visit: https://go.manpowergroup.com/whatworkerswant

​How can organizations empower people to grow, nurture their mental fitness and physical well-being, have flexibility, find meaning and purpose in their work, and define success for themselves? ​ManpowerGroup researched and analyzed responses from over 5,000 frontline, corporate, and call center workers, as well as job seekers, across five countries (Australia, France, Italy, United Kingdom and United States) to learn what it means to thrive at work. And we’ve partnered with leading behavior change technology company Thrive to help turn those insights into action to ensure both organizations and individuals alike are resilient and primed to succeed. ​Download the results to understand more about what workers want and what employers need to do now to ensure both organizations and individuals alike are primed to succeed.​Download Infographic Download Report​

A vast majority of global organizations recognize that strengthening workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) is vital to their long-term success, with 95% saying they want to improve workforce diversity over the next 12 to 18 months.[1] However, businesses are at different stages along the journey and widespread agreement on how to accomplish DEIB objectives can be difficult to achieve.According to Coqual, a global nonprofit, one of the major hurdles in accomplishing DEIB goals is addressing the common refrain, “What about me?” Focusing on one identity group, such as Black or Latinx employees, can make others feel it comes at the cost of their own wellbeing and career growth opportunities. The ultimate goal in implementing an effective DEIB strategy is to create a culture of belonging in which every employee feels they have a central role with equal access to opportunities. [2]Building a strong DEIB culture takes time and commitment. Here are four steps to consider on the journey.​Understand what DEIB really meansThe first step is to understand the roles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and how they interact with each other as core principles. For instance, having a diverse team does not guarantee every employee will be treated fairly or feel respected or welcomed. But companies that navigate DEIB effectively are more likely to have employees with higher job satisfaction, increased trust levels, and feel more engaged. [3]While many organizations understand the value of DEIB, most still struggle with the belonging part of the equation since it can be harder to define, according to Dr. Syneathia LaGrant, VP of Global Learning & Development for ManpowerGroup. “Much more than a feeling, belonging represents the intentional ways a company ensures that it is actively seeking out and engaging diverse employee voices.”Dr. LaGrant notes that onboarding offers a critical opportunity to foster belonging. Instead of just a basic “tick the box” orientation style, companies should demonstrate from Day 1 how much they value an employee’s perspective. “Shift the language from, ‘Welcome to the company’ to ‘We’re so glad you choose us. We know you could have taken your talent anywhere.’”​Set realistic, multi-year DEIB goalsWhile most organizations have good intentions when it comes to planning DEIB initiatives, some find it hard to move beyond the occasional social media post reacting to a recent tragedy instead of creating real, substantial change. One way to drive this forward with accountability is to set and measure goals.“Doing the right thing is important for companies, but leaders also need to look at the ROI that DE&I brings, says Ashish Kaushal, CEO of HireTalent and co-founder of Consciously Unbiased. “Manage your DEIB goals like you would for any business unit.”In 2020, global IT powerhouse Accenture did just that by publishing a series of ambitious goals to become a gender-balanced organization and diversify its workforce significantly by 2025. The company has pledged to increase its Black, Hispanic, and Latinx employee base in the U.S., UK, and South Africa by at least 60% over the next few years. To accomplish these goals, Accenture developed a robust set of best practices and focused on key actions including a focus on skills vs. education, prioritizing recruitment in urban areas, weighing internal goals against external benchmarks, and building their own pipeline. [4]Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and human resources officer at Accenture, notes that it’s important to look beyond the numbers. “Every organization must work to understand what representation truly means for its people. Without a vibrant culture that supports and sustains the desired change, there’s a very real risk of creating an atmosphere of divisive diversity.”​Embrace the challenges of DEIBWithout leadership buy-in to diversity, organizations are doomed to struggle. The good news is that 75% of organizations are aware that more diverse and inclusive decision-making teams will help them exceed their financial goals. [5] Keeping pace with the extreme shifts in the economy and workforce requires establishing a solid leadership framework that helps executives assess and meet challenges head-on. This can be done by focusing on areas of impact, including creating a more inclusive culture and supporting employee career growth.Having a well-constructed foundation also helps companies address a top diversity challenge: attracting diverse candidates. [6] In many cases, this issue stems from aspects of the hiring process and application criteria that are not aligned with diverse candidates’ needs, according to Liz Wessel, CEO and co-founder of WayUp, a New York City-based jobs site and resource center for college students and recent graduates.[7]Companies need to review every aspect of their recruiting process from avoiding biased language in applications and job posts to scheduling fitting interview times, which can impede engagement with certain candidates.  DEIB training and specialized tools for managers can help reduce inherent biases. But it’s also crucial to establish inclusive policies and support structures to address all workplace interactions from childcare and health and wellness to persons with disabilities.​Engage outside expertise in DEIB outcomesWhen starting any new initiative, it’s important to enlist outside experts who can help your organization overcome primary challenges and set metrics. Eighty-four percent of human resources leaders are open to receiving external help to build their DEIB culture.​Because DEIB impacts every part of an organization, conducting research at the outset, including examining the current employee experience, is crucial. This kind of analysis can be time-consuming and may require a consultant who can view your current structure from an objective perspective. External experts can also help refine your current recruitment process and language as well as updating assessments that don’t filter out neurodiverse candidates. All of this will help companies build a stronger pipeline of diverse candidates.[8]​To learn more about building a DEIB culture, read the Future of Work Report II: Who Will Do the Work?​References​​1.Everest Group Future of Work Report – Who will do the work 20222.https://hbr.org/2021/06/what-does-it-take-to-build-a-culture-of-belonging​​3.https://www.15five.com/blog/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/​​4.https://hbr.org/2021/06/how-to-set-and-meet-your-companys-diversity-goals​​5. Leading with Impact Framework, ManpowerGroup 2021​​6. Everest Group Future of Work Report – Who will do the work 2022​​7.  https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/8-diversity-recruiting-mistakes-how-to-avoid-them.aspx​​8.https://www.helioshr.com/blog/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-hr-leaders-guide-to-dei​​

​Flexibility is today’s workplace watchword with 32% of global companies leveraging contingent workers to fill the labor shortage gap and save on costs. In fact, 73% of organizations expect to increase their hiring of contingent workers within the next 12 to 18 months.[1] This is especially good news for companies in markets with aging populations, as more Gen Zers and Millennials are choosing these types of flexible work arrangements.[2] Organizations that want to create a more agile and flexible workforce should focus on strengthening their DEIB programs to be more competitive. That’s especially important with younger talent who want to work for organizations with similar values to their own.[3] Here are four ways to create a diverse and inclusive flexible work environment.​Analyze data to set benchmarks“What matters is measured, and what is prioritized and communicated gets done,” says Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup. That’s certainly true when it comes to workplace diversity. It is vital for organizations to review both qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate their contingent workforce diversity metrics as well as to identify potential gaps and opportunities. Human resources and finance departments can share real-time numbers on diversity representation but talking to people face-to-face can unveil actual experiences—both good and bad—and identify processes that need to be improved.​For example, through these conversations, companies may learn that human resources must update onboarding materials to ensure key contingent worker data is captured accurately. To do this properly, it’s important that organizations design all of their processes with belonging in mind from the beginning, according to Syneathia LaGrant, VP, Global Learning & Development at ManpowerGroup. For example, don’t limit people to a single checkbox when self-identifying information like their gender, race, and ethnicity. Qualitative input, such as career goals, interests, and experiences can also communicate to leaders why people apply for roles—and why others don’t—as well as why contingent workers’ tenures tend to be shorter than other positions.4​Engage diverse recruiting and onboardingOne silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the workplace. And the hiring process is a key place to start. Recruitment, retention, engagement, and performance are all closely linked – so improving diversity in any of these areas will naturally improve performance in all of them. Combining diversity with flexibility makes an organization even more competitive as it creates an attractive employer brand that appeals to today’s top talent.5​Qualified contingent workers should be carefully considered during the hiring process as they offer unique, diverse talent pools. For example, many moms who are returning to the workforce after a hiatus to raise children or care for loved ones are choosing remote and contingent work because of the flexibility these options offer. Recruiting contingent workers can help improve gender, age, and racial diversity within a company. It also brings a high level of experience, maturity, and commitment to organizations.6​Global firm Dow Chemical has discovered that retirees are another source of contingent talent, according to Mark Bachman, global director of Dow’s HR Center of Expertise. The company recently launched Dow Network, a social networking site on which all employees, including retirees, can post their profiles and communicate with each other. Retirees who are interested in short-term work are funneled through the company’s temporary employment vendor to find opportunities that best suit their skill sets and needs.7​Organizations that work with diversity-focused staffing partners can build a more DEIB-friendly recruiting and onboarding process to reduce decision-making biases, provide training with increased awareness around potential language and cultural barriers, and support coaching that strengthens inclusive leadership.​Ensure access to career developmentIt may seem counterintuitive to provide career development opportunities for workers who are not part of an organization’s full-time team, but in fact, it’s a smart move. Competition for contingent talent is intensifying, and organizations need to look at providing resources for these contract workers to stand out in the marketplace, according to Lori Chowanec, Managing Director of Client Engagement at Talent Solutions TAPFIN. This is especially true with a growing segment of contingent Gen Z workers who are using freelance opportunities to expand their experiences and strengthen their skillsets in a variety of areas.​By 2030, workers under 35 will make up 75% of the global workforce and will drive the gig boom across generational lines.8 Understanding their motivations will be key and one of the top workplace desires of Gen Z workers, in addition to a fair work-life balance, Chowanec notes, is for companies to care about their well-being including career development. By providing coaching and technologies that enable people to confidently accomplish their jobs, organizations will positively stand out in contingent workers’ minds and even convert some to full-time employees over time.​Give contingent workers a voiceTapping into the ideas and experiences of the contingent workforce doesn’t just enhance corporate culture, but it can also positively impact business performance. Contractors value two-way communication just like their full-time counterparts, so it is important to provide them with a sense of ownership by engaging them in feedback and decision-making within the organization.9  Organizations can accomplish this by leveraging managed service providers, which, in addition to recruiting and hiring contingent team members, also help companies train and communicate with them during their time at the firm.​There are several major benefits of a flexible and diverse workforce. With a strong commitment to recruit, engage, and train contingent workers, organizations can reap long-term rewards of increased performance and profitability. To learn more about how to create an agile contingent workforce, read the Future of Work Report II: Who Will Do the Work?​References​​1. Everest Group Future of Work Series #2, 2022​​2.https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2018/contingent-workers/home.htm​​3. ManpowerGroup What Makes Workers Thrive Survey, December 2021​​4.https://spendmatters.com/2021/07/14/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-how-can-companies-make-dei-work-for-traditional-and-contingent-workers/​​5.https://www.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/blog/why-your-diversity-and-inclusion-efforts-need-to-include-contingent-workers/​​6.https://www.womenbacktowork.org/blog/2019/8/12/contingent-workforce-amp-diversity-5-strategies-to-create-a-culture-of-inclusion​​7.https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/3tyler-planning%20for%20contingent%20workers.aspx​​8. Deloitte​​9.https://eightfold.ai/blog/manage-contingent-workers/​​

​The pandemic gave us a small glimpse into what happens when we stop commuting to work. Can this translate to a long-term solution?​​More than two years into the pandemic we can start to debrief on the lessons learned from COVID and its impact on the world of work. And one area that is ripe for disruption is our commute.During the peak of COVID, lockdowns provided an incredible opportunity to see what would happen to the environment if our daily commute was reduced or even eliminated. Driven in large part by lockdowns and more remote work, the drop in emissions marked the largest decline on record as less people drove to, from, and for work. Global greenhouse gas emissions plunged by roughly 2.4 billion tons in 2020, a 7% drop from 2019.However, the retreat was short-lived. By the end of 2021 emissions not only rebounded, but they surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by 6% in 2021 to 36.3 billion tons, their highest ever level, as the world economy rebounded from the pandemic and pivoted towards new ways of working. All of this begs the question, could COVID help usher in an era of working greener and more sustainable?What We LearnedOur pandemic experience taught us that many, though admittedly not all, jobs can be performed successfully utilizing more flexible schedules and working locales. Whether it’s fully, a hybrid model with time spent in office and working remote, a 4-day workweek, or any number of other situationships, we learned that not only can flexible work work, employees are craving the ability to move away from traditional working models.  In ManpowerGroup’s recent report, The Great Realization:  A Look at the 2022 Labor Landscape, we explored the Reinvention of Work by Workers – Flexibility, Location, and Purpose.The top three most important work flexibility factors cited were:  Ability to choose start and end times (45%)  More vacation days (36%) Having fully flexible workplace options (35%) Reboot the CommuteIt’s that flexibility that can play an important role in companies empowering their employees to not only work the way they want to but help play what could be a vital role in cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions. A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year and the transportation sector accounts for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions.  ​There are methods all of us can use to take small, but consequential steps towards being part of the solution. From biking to walking to public transit to carpooling and beyond, there are options available to reboot your commute on those days you commute to work.  Already, our people are taking steps to make an impact. For example:  In France, we found it was a struggle to fill vacancies in temporary roles due in large part to candidate transportation challenges (lack of car ownership, limited access to public transit in rural areas, etc.). To create a solution for our employers and candidates,ManpowerGroup partnered withBlaBlaCar, the world’s leading long-distance carpooling platform. This allowed us to provide ridesharing/carpooling services to ManpowerGroup associates, temp workers, and candidates resulting in a greater ability to connect clients with the labor force they needed while also reducing our carbon footprint.With 160 locations, ManpowerGroup Germany wanted to be a pioneer in climate action and saw commuting solutions as an area for opportunity.In order to achieve ManpowerGroup’s climate goals,Germany partnered with mobility manager Belmototo create strategy and provide a range of commuting and transit options - from leasing and car subscriptions to bikes and electromobility. And the two partners are already discussing ways to expand this relationship to provide more solutions.To accelerate ManpowerGroup’s sustainability journey and our efforts toward reaching Net Zero by 2045 (or sooner), this month we launched a pilot with our own employees, and associates, to understand their commuting habits and how we can encourage more sustainable ones. France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, and the UK are participating in the pilot where we will capture data from our people to better understand their current commuting routine, but also their view of commuting, and how we as a company can better support our people and our environment at the same time.  We believe what matters is measured, and what is prioritized and communicated gets done. To deliver on our validated science-based emission reduction targets and reach ourNet Zero goal, we have five priorities:  ​🔌Electrify our fleet💡Boost use of renewable energy✈️Reduce business travel🤝 Engage suppliers to reduce impact🚲 Decarbonize commutingWe have an opportunity to treat every day as Earth Day and by doing so, we can reduce our own carbon footprint and leave the planet in better shape for future generations.  ​Learn more about how ManpowerGroup is delivering on these Climate Action priorities:www.manpowergroup.com/sustainability.​

​The pandemic exposed weaknesses that many companies may not have even known they had. The global talent shortage, the need to scale up tech operations quickly to accommodate remote work and other digital operations, and managing the rising demands from people looking for more from their professional lives, have shaken many businesses to their core. Forcing most to reflect, regroup and reset as they seek a new and more sustainable path for the future.  As we continue to navigate thenew reality, organizations are taking a much harder look at places where they were left exposed and identifying opportunities to reduce or mitigate risk or otherwise use this time as a way to reboot their operations for a leaner, more efficient future.  In ManpowerGroup’s latest report, The Great Realization: Accelerating Trends, Renewed Urgency– we take a closer look at the top trends companies need to know as they hit the reset button.  Trend #1: From Net Zero to Net Positive  Transparency around Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), the rise of stakeholder capitalism and the convergence of standards and reporting is creating greater urgency for companies to take the lead. 2 in 3 organizations report ESG as a crucial focus for their organization, while 60% of companies are tying ESG goals to their purpose. Focus on climate action has entered the mainstream with many businesses making commitments towards a Net Zero future, though the next frontier will be S – a company's social impact. Success will come when the S is about People & Prosperity – becoming creators of talent at scale, championing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and improving employability and prosperity for all. For more information about ManpowerGroup’s ESG efforts, download the Working to Change the Worldreport.Trend #2: Optimizing Workforce Via Strategic Talent Management  New, nimble operating models and people practices will emerge to respond to transformations in the market – from digital technologies to changing consumer preferences. The ability to turn data into meaningful insights will be critical to manage human capital risks, including the responsible integration of gig, freelance and contract workers. 68% of companies cite “consolidation of staffing suppliers” as a workforce management strategy currently in place in their organization. Vendor consolidation and resiliency will be at a premium to mitigate uncertainty and manage workforce risk.Trend #3: Businesses Emerge as Most Trusted  The fracturing of trust towards the government and the media has put employers in the driver’s seat to become the most trusted source of information. Embracing a values driven agenda becomes a net positive for attracting and retaining talent. In fact, 7 in 10 workers say having leaders that they can trust and follow is important to them, and 2 out 3 people want to work for organizations whose values are the same as theirs. Employees are increasingly demanding “empathetic” action with expectations from all sides of the political spectrum that CEOs will lead the way. The role of business will continue to broaden into areas from advocating for racial equity to championing vaccination and voting rights. Trend #4: New Definition of Risk and Resiliency  As the pandemic continued to impact our lives, we heard more and more about the fragility of the global supply chain. Even before COVID hit, the strength of the supply chain was being questioned due to factors such as climate change, evolving consumer demand, and the global talent shortage. Over half of organizations are currently assessing their extended supply chains (e.g. third parties, sub-contractors) in order to reduce risks, nearly 40% plan to do so in the next two years. In order to reprioritize risk, organizations are rethinking their logistics strategy. Mono suppliers and vertical supply chains are out, and circular, networked, regional, resilient, and sustainable are in. Supply chain resilience and vendor consolidation will be at a premium to mitigate uncertainty and manage risk. Now is the time to embrace a shared vision of tomorrow. The sudden transformation of how business is done is going to have a lasting effect. As we’ve learned, some of these changes are closer to what workers wanted all along; flexibility, work-life balance and more. The trends known were coming are here and their adoption is accelerating as a result of the pandemic. Companies are becoming increasingly sophisticated as they are forced to adapt and hit the reset button while driving innovation that will sustain operations for years to come.  For more information about the key trends in the 2022 labor landscape, download ManpowerGroup's report, The Great Realization: Accelerating Trends, Renewed Urgency.

​The massive workplace shift that has occurred over the past couple of years has many people seeking new opportunities that will empower them to grow in their careers while at the same time offering flexibility they may have not previously experienced. Successful companies understand that providing career advancement pathways for employees is crucial to recruiting and retaining talent.However, while most firms understand the value of the development of their internal staff and promoting from within, many are deluding themselves about their capabilities. Over 88% believe they have strong career management programs in place, but in truth, most employees have never experienced them. In fact, only two in five workers say they have career conversations with their managers annually, and one in five workers never engage in these types of one-on-one conversations. [1]While individual performance does play a major role in career growth, managers should play a key role in advocating for employees. Team leaders are responsible for offering support and providing constructive feedback to help employees realize their full potential. Here are three ways to equip leaders at all levels within your organization with the means they need to take charge of their careers.​Clearly understand workers’ goals and strengthsA key step in ensuring a productive, happy workforce is having a solid understanding of every team member’s career ambitions, needs, strengths, and pain points. Engaging in frequent, open, one-on-one discussions with team members is an essential way to assess where they want to be and where they may be struggling. It’s also important to have faith in workers’ capabilities and create an environment that welcomes ideas, demonstrates respect, and encourages collaboration.Global technology company Hewlett Packard (HP) strongly believes that its world-renowned, innovative products are a direct result of its talented and diverse workforce. HP’s leaders and managers are advocates of empowering their staff to grow and develop at exceptional rates and fostering them to grasp opportunities that will create a better future for individual workers as well as the brand. [2] Antonio Neri, President and CEO of HP, started his career at a call center in Amsterdam and eventually advanced to the highest role in the organization – all within the course of 25 years.“I challenge you to look at the complete person when you’re considering a new hire. Even if that person doesn’t check all the boxes, dig deeper,” Neri advises. “You may find a spark – in their personality, skill set or experience – but most importantly passion and attitude that could ignite a successful career.” [3]​Create a culture of career developmentWhile many companies conduct annual performance evaluations, it’s time for leaders to move beyond these and provide more ongoing career development opportunities for employees. Whether working with human resources or an external expert like Right Management, organizations can leverage specialized tools to support the effort from customized education modules to technology portals and one-on-one coaching.Global software giant Adobe offers a variety of educational resources on the company's practices for all new recent college graduates or individuals entering the workforce. The program is called Accelerate Adobe Life. Adobe employees receive regular check-ins, performance reviews, and training programs before starting their new positions. Additionally, employees are offered benefits such as educational reimbursement and leadership development courses. These benefits empower entry-level employees to achieve continual growth and advancement in the company from the beginning. Donna Morris, Executive Vice President of Customer and Employee Experience at Adobe, believes it is extremely important for those in the early stages of their career to understand there is a path for growth and career progression for everyone. [4]​Leverage resources and technology to enable career mobilityWhen people feel they are ready to search for a new role, they may not realize that moving to an entirely new company isn’t the only option. In fact, over 40% of people are unaware of available job opportunities within their own organizations, yet 51% of workers know of current openings at other organizations. [5] This is a result of companies not being fully transparent about available positions or leaders not informing qualified team members.To retain talent pools and counteract turnover, companies need to be more candid about how team members can make departmental shifts. They can do this by including job postings in internal company newsletters or communication portals. Managers should also be encouraged by senior leaders to spread the word about openings and be alert to current team members who could fit into new internal roles."Many people leave their employer because they’re not sure they can advance their career, even though they’d like to stay,” says Dan Shapero, Vice President of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn. “That’s a problem that’s solvable with the right technology and cultural mindset.” [6]Tools that use AI to support career searches for individuals can be helpful, especially for large organizations where opportunities can sometimes be hard to identify.  HR software like RightMap™allow organizations to map out the competencies needed by the organization for current open, and future roles. Benchmark your workforce against these competencies and align employees with the roles that best match their skill sets. [7]It’s estimated that companies can retain about 38% of their employees who would have otherwise departed by promoting them for a new role that fits their needs and meets the firm’s qualifications. [8] Nevertheless, some firms say that they don’t have all the information they need to understand the vital skills within their current talent pool. [9]“There is a real need for greater transparency about what opportunities are available and what skills are untapped internally across organizations,” explains Amy Smyth, Head of the European Centre of Excellence for Career Management at Right Management. [10]Organizations that take the time to understand employee goals, help them take control of their own career growth, and make them aware of internal opportunities are setting themselves up for long-term success.To learn more about how to encourage workers to assertively navigate their career paths while providing them with the right resources, visit Right Management.​References:​[1] Uncharted Territory Report, ManpowerGroup 2021​​[2]https://www.themuse.com/advice/companies-committed-to-career-growth​​[3]https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/blog-post/2021/05/lessons-learned-from-25-years-at-hpe-from-call-center-to-ceo.html​​[4]https://ripplematch.com/journal/article/companies-that-offer-exceptional-professional-development-programs-for-entry-level-employees-f53abebf/​​[5] Uncharted Territory Report, ManpowerGroup 2021​​[6]https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/resources/article/5-reasons-hr-should-look-inside-company-when-hiring/​​[7]https://workforce-resources.manpowergroup.com/development/wondering-how-to-attract-the-best-talent-focus-on-the-talent-you-already-have​​[8]https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/resources/article/5-reasons-hr-should-look-inside-company-when-hiring/​​[9] Uncharted Territory Report, ManpowerGroup 2021​​[10] Uncharted Territory Report, ManpowerGroup 2021​