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Finding Purpose but Packing Bags: ManpowerGroup's Inaugural Global Talent Barometer Decodes What Workers Really Want

Published Date
Author [ ManpowerGroup ]

In today's rapidly evolving workplace, understanding what employees want and how they feel has never been more crucial. ManpowerGroup has responded to this need with the launch of its inaugural Global Talent Barometer, a groundbreaking tool designed to measure and track the pulse of the global workforce.

The Barometer's Framework: A Three-Dimensional View

The Global Talent Barometer measures workforce sentiment through three carefully chosen indices:

  • Well-Being Index: Captures how workers feel about their daily work experience through four key metrics:

    • Meaning and purpose in work
    • Daily stress levels
    • Alignment with company values
    • Work-life balance support

  • Job Satisfaction Index: Evaluates current job contentment through: 

    • Current role satisfaction
    • Job security sentiment
    • Job-search confidence
    • Trust in management

  • Confidence Index: Assesses professional outlook via:

    • Career development opportunities
    • Promotion potential
    • Skills and experience confidence
    • Access to necessary technology and tool

Why a Talent Barometer? Why Now?

"When you hire someone for a role – are you filling a job, or placing talent?" This question, posed by ManpowerGroup's Chief Commercial Officer Becky Frankiewicz, cuts to the heart of why the Global Talent Barometer was created. In an era where the line between "me as consumer" and "me as employee" has blurred, organizations need deeper insights into workforce sentiment than ever before.

The Talent Barometer addresses this need by providing a comprehensive framework for understanding employee attitudes across multiple dimensions. Drawing from a robust survey of over 12,000 workers across 16 countries, it offers organizations unprecedented visibility into what drives workforce satisfaction, retention, and performance.

Combined, these indices create an overall Global Talent Barometer score of 67%, establishing a baseline for measuring workforce sentiment in the post-pandemic era.

The Results: A Mixed Picture of Today's Workforce

Breaking down the three core indices:

The Well-Being Index (64%) shows that while workers generally find meaning in their work, daily challenges impact their overall well-being:

    • 80% believe their work has meaning and purpose
    • 71% feel aligned with their company's vision and values
    • Only 41% report experiencing little to no daily stress
    • 65% feel supported in maintaining work-life balance

The Job Satisfaction Index (63%) reveals a workforce that feels secure but remains open to change:

    • 71% feel their jobs are secure for the next six months
    • 60% are satisfied with their current role and unlikely to leave voluntarily
    • 59% are confident they could find another job if needed
    • 63% trust their manager has their best interests in mind for career development

The Confidence Index (74%) emerges as the strongest of the three measures, though with notable gaps:

    • 87% express confidence in their current skills and experience (though on the flip side, 59% say they haven't received any skills training in the past six months)
    • 73% say they have opportunities to gain new skills
    • 78% have the right technology and tools to perform their job
    • Only 57% see clear paths for promotion or internal mobility (yet one-third say they lack sufficient opportunities to achieve their career goals)

These scores establish the first comprehensive baseline for measuring workforce sentiment in the post-pandemic era, revealing both strengths to build upon and clear areas needing attention.

Regional Variations Paint a Global Picture 

The study reveals fascinating regional differences:

    • Mexico stands out with 89% of workers finding high levels of meaning and purpose in their work, while The Netherlands leads in overall workforce well-being at 73%

    • Singapore's workforce exhibits a unique duality: they show the highest likelihood of changing jobs in the next six months (41% current job dissatisfaction), while simultaneously expressing the strongest confidence in their current skills to secure new roles (56%)

    • Nordic countries Norway and Sweden demonstrate strong job security, with 80% and 71% of workers respectively feeling secure in their positions for the next six months. However, these nations also face challenges, with fewer perceived opportunities for development and promotion (68% and 48% in Norway, 73% and 53% in Sweden, respectively), and lower trust in managers (57% in Norway and 57% in Sweden)

    • France records one of the lowest Well-Being Index scores at 61%, suggesting significant challenges in work-life balance and moderate to high daily stress

    • The United States displays robust overall sentiment, achieving a Confidence Index of 79%, with 76% of workers feeling secure in their jobs over the next six months

What This Means for Employers

The Global Talent Barometer highlights several key areas where employers can focus their efforts:

    1. Stress Management: With nearly half of workers experiencing daily stress, organizations must prioritize well-being initiatives and create more sustainable work environments.
    2. Career Development: The gap between confidence in current skills (87%) and satisfaction with career opportunities (57%) suggests a need for clearer advancement paths and more structured development programs.
    3. Training and Mentorship: The low percentage of workers receiving recent training or having mentors points to an opportunity for organizations to enhance their development programs and create more robust learning cultures.
    4. Management Trust: Only 63% of workers trust their managers have their best interests in mind for career development, indicating room for improving leadership relationships and communication.

As Frankiewicz notes, "People expect work to offer them more. More balance. More development. More options. More flexibility. More humanity." The Global Talent Barometer makes it clear that while today's workforce is confident and finds meaning in their work, they're also ready to move on if their broader needs aren't met.

For organizations looking to retain talent in 2024 and beyond, the message is clear: meaningful work alone isn't enough. Success will require a holistic approach that addresses well-being, provides clear career paths, and offers the development opportunities workers crave. The Talent Barometer serves as both a wake-up call and a roadmap for organizations seeking to build more resilient, engaged, and sustainable workforces in an increasingly complex global labor market.

Explore the Global Talent Barometer here.