A third (35 per cent) of employees say every workday feels the same, similar to the 1993 film Groundhog Day, according to a new survey by Robert Half Canada Inc.
The survey, which polled more than 300 professionals via LinkedIn, also found, while 51 per cent said their workdays are balanced between repetition and variation in tasks, just 14 per cent said they’re excited to go to work and that no two workdays are the same.
“When we did the survey, the word ‘boredom’ constantly came up [and] that’s where the real concern is,” says Michael French, national director at Robert Half Canada. “Boredom leads to mental-health issues and decreased engagement and job satisfaction. When coupled with remote or hybrid working, it’s a recipe for a potential challenge for employers.”
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While initiatives such as new work assignments or upskilling opportunities can help alleviate employee boredom, he suggests employers also consider speaking to workers about their career directions. However, he also notes many employers have paused these discussions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“[During the pandemic] there’s been a lot of quick check-ins, but not a lot of career discussions. . . . Many employers missed that opportunity and some employees are three years along having not had a true career conversation.”
These conversations are especially important in the current labour market, says French, citing a separate Robert Half survey, published in December 2022, which found half of Canadian employees were either looking for a new job or planned to begin their search in the first half of 2023. “There’s exceptional job confidence and, when you combine that with a third of employees saying they’re bored, it could lead to a lot of people saying they’re ready for a change.”
Read: Survey finds half of Canadian employees are looking for a new job