Vietnam, 18th March 2021 – According to “What Vietnamese Workers Want in the New Normal” survey deployed on November and December 2020 with 463 participants, COVID-19 should be a catalyst for a new future of work, which is flexible, diverse and wellbeing-oriented. The survey highlights workers’ well-being needs, their expectations, future of work insights and how the new normal can be made better for everyone.
According to ManpowerGroup’s research on “What Workers Want”, around 93% of workers around the world have experienced some type of workplace closure measure in place. However, because of the Government’s effective actions in containing the virus, Vietnam business outlook has turned positive with only 3.5% of respondents that reported that their work had been severely impacted by the pandemic. Overall, the health impacts of COVID-19 are proved to disproportionately harm the elderly, but it is millennials who are the most vulnerable to the economic impacts of the pandemic.
When asked about returning to work, a large number of Vietnamese workers felt positive going back to the workplace (66% of survey participants) while only 19% had negative responses. With the new waves of community transmission in late 2020, a proportion of workforce consider the return to workplace as an increased risk, especially working parents. The survey also shows that over one fifth (more than 21%) of the working parents participating in the survey felt negative and disinterested in returning to work.
In these unpredictable times, Vietnamese workers are united in what they want to prioritize for the future – staying healthy, to learn and develop new skill sets, keep their job and bring more balance between work and life. In reference to benefits of being in the workplace, the respondents highly value opportunities for collaboration, productivity and efficiency improvement as well as appreciate the office as a way of separating work from home. However, there is still a proportion of respondents who prefer flexibly (in terms of location and schedule) or to work remotely full time.
One of the top priorities of Vietnamese workers at work, almost 78% respondents, placed significance on learning and career coaching. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Huong, Country HR Manager, ManpowerGroup Vietnam shared, “It is predicted that the pandemic will last longer than expected, and with the largest reallocation of skills worldwide. Now is the time for employees to hone in-demand skills and establish career conversations with employers on technical skills development, and learning opportunities for their career development, to stay employable in the new normal.”
Amidst current uncertainties, employability matters to workers and 72% of them say that simply keeping their job is the most important priority. In short, work security and well-being have been identified as the most crucial factors that both Vietnamese workers in general and working parents in particular would like to focus in the new normal.
About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis and Talent Solutions – creates substantial value for candidates and clients across more than 75 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. We are recognized consistently for our diversity - as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality and Disability and in 2021 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the twelfth year - all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent.
Nguyen Dinh Hoang Yen – Marketing and PR Manager – email: yen.nguyenhoang@manpower.com.vn - Tel: +84 28 3911 0950 (ext. 125)