Ceridian Canada and Harris Decima Survey Reveals Surprising Employee Attitudes Towards Performance Reviews and Corporate Training
Markham, ON: October 24, 2011 — Ceridian Canada and Harris Decima today announced the findings of the first in a series of surveys examining the changing attitudes and perceptions of workers across Canada. These surveys, entitled “The Pulse of Talent,” will focus on perceived job security, confidence in leadership and career satisfaction.
“Our first study released today found that 80 percent of the respondents felt secure in their jobs, which is encouraging given that the Canadian economy is slowly recovering from a recession,” says John Cardella, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Ceridian Canada. “Canadian employers are obviously doing a good job creating a confident and satisfied workforce, although there is room for improvement, especially in providing employees with clearly defined career paths and honouring commitments made during performance reviews.”
The study’s other significant findings were:
Canadian workers feel valued as a direct result of performance reviews and training.
Sixty-one percent of survey respondents had received a performance review in their current position, 86% taking place within the past year. Seventy-one percent stated that their review made them feel valued. In addition, 75% of respondents agreed that their employer helps them develop their skills by providing professional development training, and among those who feel valued by their employer 82% are being provided with professional development through their place of employment.
Employees view the performance review as a critical process in their career paths.
Ninety-one percent stated their performance reviews either met (79%) or exceeded (12%) their expectations, 66% said their reviews were customized to their position, 64% felt they were provided with valuable feedback, but only 56% were given a clear career path for the future.
Commitments made during a performance review must be fulfilled to maintain long-term employees.
Thirty-two percent of workers who are expecting a salary increase, promotion or bonus within a year said they would look for a new job if they did not receive one within the year – 13% will definitely start looking, 19% will probably start looking. This was most prevalent among workers 18-24 years of age, had a household income of $40K or less, and/or had less than two years in their current position.
Training and development greatly influence career satisfaction and expectations.
As a result of training/mentoring programs, 76% of workers stated they have a clear understanding of what they need to deliver in order to be promoted; 66% indicated they had a clear career path; and 66% feel ready to take on more responsibility.
Canadians feel secure in their jobs.
Eighty percent of those surveyed felt secure in their jobs. The greatest degree of security was expressed in the western provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta); among younger respondents (18-24 yrs); university graduates; office workers; and employees with an annual income over $40K.
The Pulse of Talent surveys were created in response to Ceridian clients across the country seeking tangible metrics to gauge the workforce, metrics that could help identify talent gaps, uncover opportunities and demonstrate effective return on human capital.
“One-off measures weren’t enough,” says Cardella. “There’s a need to measure trends in key barometers over time, to regularly 'take the pulse of talent'.”
To download the complete survey, go to http://www.ceridian.ca/pulse-of-talent/
About the Survey
The Pulse of Talent—July 2011 Edition was commissioned by Ceridian and conducted in partnership with Harris/Decima . Eight hundred Canadians who work on an employer’s business were surveyed between July 14 and 25 through Harris/Decima’s weekly teleVox, the company’s national omnibus. Male and female respondents over the age of 18 years of age were randomly selected from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. All survey data was weighted to ensure the demographics and population distribution across Canada was consistent with the 2006 Census. Respondents were: unionized (41%); office (34%); education (11%); health workers (9%); and employed for 2-5 years (20%); 5-10 years (19%); and 10+ years (33%).
About Ceridian
Ceridian is an HR solutions provider that helps clients focus on their core business, reduce costs and build organizational capabilities by finding, paying, managing, developing and engaging their talent. A trusted partner to 40,000 Canadian customers, Ceridian offers a comprehensive range of HR solutions from payroll services and recruitment and staffing, to EAP, learning & development, and workforce management.
For more information, please visit www.ceridian.ca
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For further information, contact:
Moira Potter
Communications Specialist
Ceridian Canada Ltd.
Tel. 905-947-7474
Cell : 905-283-3336
E-mail: moira_potter@ceridian.ca
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