Gartner reveals Australian workers are doing the bare minimum

Aussies are sick of novelty workplace perks and are refusing to go above and beyond for their employers. Here’s what’s needed to get them back on board.

Workplace morale is waning in Australia, with workers turning up, doing the bare minimum, then heading home.

Discretionary effort – the drive to deliver above and beyond expectations – is at its lowest level in five years, according to a new report from Gartner.

The research and advisory firm’s Q1 2019 Global Talent Monitor revealed just 15.7 per cent of Australians reported high discretionary effort – a contrast to the 23 per cent high in Q2 2017.

MORE: Millennials most likely to be late to work

MORE: Generation X overlooked in the workplace

Workers are being asked to do more with less. Picture: iStock

Gartner vice president of research and advisory Aaron McEwan said the figure had been trending downward for years, stemming from reduced headcounts during the Global Financial Crisis.

“You have a workforce that has been carrying the load for a long time and there is a degree of austerity introduced post-GFC and as a result we have seen this lack of rise in wages for more than four years now,” he said.

“We have got this weird combination of workers who don’t feel confident they could lose their job and find something else but also feel overwhelmed and overworked and are not getting recognised for that additional effort.”

Gartner vice president of research and advisory Aaron McEwan. Picture: Supplied

Employer Branding Australia chief energy officer Mark Puncher said employers needed to re-engage their staff by offering purpose, not perks.

“(I read job ads that essentially say) ‘You will probably hate it and might get fired but you get a free banana’ or ‘it’s cut throat but hey guys, we have a ping pong table’,” he said.

“If the perks are the icing on the cake – so people feel valued and supported and you give them free fruit – it’s a powerful perk, but if the perk is the butter of the cake, you are screwed.

“You want to start with connection, not free fruit, because when people feel they are making a great contribution, they will give discretionary effort.”

Funky office perks, such as foosball and ping pong tables, are not enough to keep workers engaged. Picture: iStock

The Gartner report showed a lack of respect, low-quality management and inadequate work/life balance were the factors most likely to drive Australians to quit their jobs - all considered more important than salary.

This was in contrast to international trends in which compensation, work/life balance and stability were the top factors workers considered before leaving.

Just 30.3 per cent of Australian workers had high intent to stay with their employer in Q1 (January to March), which was an 8 per cent drop on the previous quarter and below the international average of 32.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, the portion of workers who were actively jobseeking increased by 5.6 per cent quarter on quarter.

“It’s really odd for this data to show up early in the year,” Mr McEwan said.

“I expect to see a tired workforce by the end of the year but to see it in January, February, March is pretty alarming.

“A lot of people have worked out that the best way to get a wage rise or promotion is to move. It’s sad. It’s an indictment on how we treat loyal employees.”

SEEK managing director Kendra Banks. Picture: Supplied

While Australia’s wage price index sat at about 2.3 per cent annual growth, the average advertised salary on SEEK increased by 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to May.

SEEK managing director Kendra Banks said changing job every time a worker wanted a pay rise was a good short-term strategy but likely not great in the long term.

“(Finding a new job) gives a jobseeker opportunity to have the salary discussion again, which can be easier when moving jobs than with your current employer, but whether it is best for long-term career growth, I would doubt,” she said.

“There are certainly many employers who will look at a CV of somebody who has moved around lots and lots and lots and question either their loyalty or their capability.”

READ MORE EMPLOYMENT NEWS IN THE CAREERS SECTION ON SATURDAY IN THE COURIER-MAIL, THE HERALD SUN, THE ADVERTISER AND THE DAILY TELEGRAPH