Spring 2022

With spring comes warmer temperatures, longer days and cherry blossoms if you live in the D.C. area, while March marks the third year of the coronavirus pandemic. For many people, this feels like a good time to reflect and start anew in their personal lives and also in the workplace. Our recent polling uncovered three workplace trends to watch as people prepare for a spring refresh that coincides with the start of pandemic year three in the U.S. From work/life balance to mentorship, employees are ready to demand what they need and think they deserve for the rest of the year.

Resolution Trend 1

Employees Want Greater Work/Life Balance

Heading into the third year of the pandemic and the lingering uncertainty it has brought to workplaces, employees feel ready to take charge of things in their control and set attainable goals. When asked about which work-related resolutions they have made for themselves heading into 2022, employees cite individual activities within their personal control such as having a better work/life balance and prioritizing mental/emotional health more than goals that involve other people such as asking for a raise or promotion and building a better network.

Resolution Trend 2

Black Employees Feel More Empowered than Non-Black Employees to ask for Mentorship 

The national labor shortage has empowered many employees to speak up and ask for what they want in the workplace. From flexible work locations and schedules to promotions, almost half of the working US Informed Public say they feel more confident to ask their employers for things that will help them now and into the future.  

Many employees report feeling more empowered to ask for company-provided mentoring or coaching for their professional and personal growth because of the recent labor shortage. This sentiment is felt even stronger among Black employees, who are almost twice as likely as non-Black employees to report feeling empowered to ask for this benefit because of the recent labor shortage. 

Resolution Trend 3

Most Women Feel Confident There’s a Path for Them to Company Leadership 

Men and women are equally likely to see the potential for themselves to move up at work, with 80% of women and 82% of men feeling confident there is a path for someone who looks like them to join their company’s leadership. Out of the women who agree, 41% say they “strongly agree” with that statement. 

Though the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates women occupy only 29.3% of the chief executive roles in the United States, our polling results suggest women may not feel discouraged by how leadership, more broadly, in the workforce looks now.