Adobe-2021年美国工作状态报告（英文）-2021.5-19页_5mb

State of Work 2021 Summary

Core Content

This report, State of Work 2021, explores how the pandemic has transformed digital work, focusing on employee resilience, new expectations, and engagement levels. It is based on two studies conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics (CGK) in 2020, with the first study taking place in February-March 2020 and the second in November-December 2020, both involving 1,000 respondents from companies with at least 500 employees who work on computers and collaborate with others.

The report highlights that digital workers are more resilient, engaged, and have higher expectations than before the pandemic. It also emphasizes the importance of work management tools in enabling and optimizing digital work environments.

Main Findings

Digital Workers Are Resilient

• Despite the challenges of the pandemic, digital workers showed increased mastery in key work competencies such as communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, and innovation.
• Communication saw a 4-point increase in confidence.
• Collaboration across geographies increased by 4 points.
• Conflict resolution and hard conversations improved by 5 points.
• Digital creativity has grown significantly, with workers relying more on technology to foster innovation and develop new ideas (+9 and +8 points respectively).

Digital Workers Have New Expectations

• Technology expectations have shifted dramatically. Digital workers now prioritize up-to-date and job-fit technologies over "new" ones.
• Having the latest technology is now 8 points more important than before the pandemic.
• Micromanagement is less of an issue for remote workers, but freedom to align with company goals and effective communication remain critical for their engagement.
• 49% of U.S. workers are likely to leave their current job if they're unhappy with their work technology.
• Technology has become a major factor in retention and recruitment, with 12-point increase in people turning down jobs due to outdated tech, and 7-point increase in those applying for jobs because of great tech.

Digital Workers Are Even More Engaged

• Engagement levels have increased, with 81% of digital workers feeling very invested or invested in their jobs, up from 79%.
• Work impact has increased by 6 points, with employees reporting that their work is making more of a difference to company success.
• The importance of doing their best work over pay increased by 8 points.
• Feelings of being underappreciated and work not mattering have become top barriers to engagement, rising 8 and 13 points respectively.

Generations Are Being Impacted Differently

• Millennials and Gen Xers have similar levels of comfort in working with colleagues across generations, with 88% feeling very comfortable.
• Gen Xers show greater resilience and adaptability, especially in communication, trust, and conflict resolution.
• Gen Xers are more likely to quit or reject job offers due to poor technology, with 13-point increase in quitting and 15-point increase in rejecting offers compared to 7 and 10-point increases for millennials.

Key Takeaways for Leaders

1. Treat Technology as a Critical Workforce Issue

• Technology is not just a tool but a core element of employee engagement and productivity.
• Leaders must ensure that technologies empower rather than hobble their workforce.
• Investing in the right technology is crucial to supporting employee well-being, flexibility, and creativity.

2. Personalize the Employee Experience

• Employees want to work where and how they are most productive.
• Companies should invest in ecosystem technologies that allow collaboration across platforms while respecting individual preferences.
• Autonomy and trust are key to supporting employees in a remote environment.

3. Don't Take Engagement for Granted

• Engagement is not just about involvement, but about investment and value creation.
• Companies must provide clear success definitions and support systems to ensure employee alignment and well-being.
• Employee engagement should be a strategic imperative across the organization, not just an HR concern.

The Role of Work Management

Work management is highlighted as a critical enabler of digital work, offering:

• Centralized work coordination across teams, departments, and companies.
• Elimination of silos and integration of applications and data.
• Support for agility, autonomy, creativity, and meaningful work.
• Real-time insights to help leaders optimize processes, reallocate resources, and make data-driven decisions.

Conclusion

The pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital work, with employees demanding more from their tools and employers. Companies that adapt to these new expectations and invest in the right technology will be better positioned to retain and attract talent. Work management systems are central to this transformation, enabling resilience, engagement, and agility in a rapidly evolving work landscape.