In the face of economic uncertainty, American workers are more intentional about what they’re willing to trade and what they won’t compromise on. In fact, findings from Randstad USA’s Workmonitor Pulse survey highlight shifting workforce preferences that will be valuable for employers to understand as they navigate attracting and retaining talent in the current market.
“In today’s uncertain economic environment, it’s no surprise that employability remains a top priority to workers. But what really stands out in the Randstad Workmonitor survey is the growing emphasis on flexibility, wellbeing, and setting boundaries. These factors are becoming just as critical, if not more, for employers looking to attract and retain talent.” says Marc-Etienne Julien, CEO of Randstad North America. “Organizations that recognize and adapt to these evolving trade-offs will not only attract stronger talent, they’ll build the kind of trust and loyalty that drives long-term performance.”
Key takeaways:
· As uncertainty lingers in the market, employability, the ability to stay skilled, relevant, and secure in a changing job landscape, is emerging as a top priority for talent. Over two-thirds (70%) of respondents prefer greater employability over the ability to work remotely, and 63% of respondents say they are unlikely to leave their jobs if asked to come into the workplace three or more days a week. However, workers have higher expectations if asked to return to the office full-time. In exchange, 63% of workers would expect more flexibility with work hours, and an equal number (62%) would expect more annual leave days and a higher salary.
· The value placed on employability varies slightly by industry. Healthcare workers (81%) cited the highest preference for employability over the ability to work remotely, followed by workers in manufacturing (75%), financial services (70%), and transport and logistics (65%).
· Salary is no longer the only driving factor for attracting and retaining workers, with workers desiring less stress and greater flexibility of work hours and location. Over half (62%) of talent prefer more control over their working hours than a higher salary. The survey also indicated that workers are moving away from high-stress positions, with almost two-thirds (61%) of respondents preferring less stress over higher pay, and nearly half (41%) saying they have already taken pay cuts for lower-stress jobs.
· Flexibility preferences, however, look different across industries. By sector, workers in manufacturing (71%) and transport and logistics (71%) prefer flexibility over their working hours rather than control over their working location, compared to just over half of financial services (54%) and healthcare workers (52%). These findings emphasize that for industries where remote work isn’t an option, such as manufacturing and transport and logistics industries, flexibility is still achievable, primarily through adaptable scheduling.
· Similar to their workplace trade-offs, workers want more from employers than a higher salary to keep them in their roles. While a pay raise is the top retention driver for over three quarters (79%) of respondents, it’s closely followed by more personal factors that impact employee retention. A majority of workers report that they are more likely to stay in their current role for five years if they receive manager support in their professional development (74%) and if they share the same vision and values with the company leadership (74%).
· Retention drivers vary by industry, highlighting the importance of tailoring strategies to what matters most to each workforce. When asked what would influence them to stay in their current role for five years, annual pay raises in line with or above inflation are more important to manufacturing workers (90%) than to any other industry, highlighting how financial stability is the foundation of long-term loyalty in this sector.
