Reinventing the workplace

In order to survive, organisational reinvention is critical – but this will only succeed if employees are engaged, motivated and keen to contribute, according to PwC’s Asia Pacific Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2023.

The report interviewed 19,000 employees across the region; 39% believe that their organisation’s business model will not survive more than 10 years.

Raymund Chao, PwC Asia Pacific and China chairman points out that as the business environment continuously evolves, organisations must transform and adapt at speed. ‘No transformation is alike, but at the core, people always matter. We need to come together in new, interconnected ways, to build trust and deliver sustained outcomes.’

Job satisfaction

While the overall level of job satisfaction for Asia Pacific is 57%, slightly higher than the global average, rates vary across the region, with the highest in Thailand and the lowest in Japan.

Know your value

There is increasing confidence among employees to ask for a pay rise or promotion, with around 40% saying they are extremely or highly likely to do so in the next year. At the same time, around 30% say that they are likely to change employer in the next 12 months.

The groups most confident about speaking up or moving on tend to be younger, more senior or employed by larger organisations.

At the same time, only half of employees say that they feel comfortable being themselves in the workplace, suggesting that organisations must work harder to create a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

Skill step-up

While employees understand the importance of continuing to learn, they are less sure of where their focus should lie. However, those whose jobs already involve technical or specialised training are almost four times more likely to understand how their jobs will evolve.

Across the region, less than half of employees believe that their employers are giving them the opportunities to use their skills effectively over the next five years, with those in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong feeling this most acutely.

Human skills such as adaptability/flexibility, collaboration and critical thinking are identified as most important in Asia Pacific, while ‘green’ skills, concerning sustainability and environmental impact, are seen as the least important.

Embracing AI

Compared with other regions, employees in Asia Pacific are more positive about the impact that AI may have on their jobs: 41% say that it will increase productivity, while 34% see it as an opportunity to learn new skills. However, 22% do not feel confident about their ability to gain the skills required.

Attitudes to AI vary in different countries. Employees in Vietnam, Indonesia and India are most likely to see the technology as an opportunity to learn new skills, while those in New Zealand, Australia and Japan believe that it will have less impact on their roles.