Brazilian professionals seek flexibility in the job market, survey reveals
Study indicates that changes caused by COVID-19 in people’s routines are here to stay and professionals have also revised their priorities
The isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many Brazilians work. A survey called “The Great Resignation” indicates that these changes in people’s routines are here to stay and professionals have also revised their priorities. For example, all the participants agreed on the need for flexibility. Talenses Group carried out the survey in partnership with Paul Ferreira, professor of strategy and leadership and deputy director of the Center for Organization and People Studies (NEOP) at Fundação Getulio Vargas’ Sao Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP).
Survey’s main findings:
- - Hierarchical evolution can reduce motivation and interest in benefits;
- - Teamwork can motivate retention;
- - Only 60% of people in Generation Z have taken specialized courses;
- - Remote work is important to most people whose type of work allows it.
Luiz Valente, the CEO of Talenses Group, warns of the “Great Resignation,” the term the survey is named for. “This trend, initially identified in the United States, is now underway in Brazil. The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that also serves as a warning to leaders to identify the areas in which people are dissatisfied, in the work environment or regarding lifestyle, and to seek solutions to attract and retain them,” he explains.
Talent attraction and retention
Compared to a similar survey carried out in 2019, the results show that attraction and retention drivers have changed since the pandemic began. In 2019, the top three attractions for women were work environment and organizational climate, salary and bonus, and career prospects. On the other hand, men most valued salary and bonus, career prospects, and challenges. In 2022, both genders chose the same three attractions:
- 1. Career prospects;
- 2. Salary and bonus;
- 3. Benefits.
In terms of retention, in 2019 the top three factors were work environment and organizational climate, salary and bonus, and challenges. By 2022, they had changed to the following:
- 1. Feeling recognized;
- 2. Career prospects and salary;
- 3. Bonus.
In 2019, men chose salary and bonus, work environment and organizational climate, and challenges. In 2022, the top three factors were as follows:
- 1. Salary and bonus;
- 2. Career prospects;
- 3. Feeling recognized.
According to Professor Paul Ferreira, improving our understanding of candidates’ preferences when accepting a job offer and encouraging employees to remain engaged is critical to a thriving economy. This is even more so in Brazil, which paradoxically has a very high unemployment rate alongside a growing number of jobs in the formal economy.
“In particular, unveiling these preferences sheds light on the interplay between factors that attract and those that engage. People want jobs that will allow them to grow and develop, and they want to keep these jobs if they are properly recognized for their work,” he explains.
When the participants were asked if they are currently working, 71.9% said yes and 28.1% said no. Asked if they were looking for a job or new opportunities, 78.5% said yes and only 21.5% said no. Thus, many employed people are looking for another job, so there is a latent need for companies to retain existing talent.
The survey also looked at each generation's three main work engagement factors. Here are the results:
- - Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964): feeling recognized for their work; organizational culture; feeling challenged at work;
- - Generation X (born between 1965 and 1978): salary and bonus; feeling recognized for their work; career development prospects;
- - Generation Y (born between 1979 and 1990): salary and bonus; career development prospects; feeling recognized for their work;
- - Generation Z (born after 1991): career development prospects; feeling recognized for their work; salary and bonus.
In relation to flexibility and work-life balance, most respondents in all generations said their current job is meeting or beating their expectations.
Main values for remaining in a job (retention), whereas 0 is a factor that is not considered and 5 is the most important factor to respondents:
100% remote work |
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|
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Analyst | 8% | 4% | 11% | 15% | 14% | 47% |
Intern | 13% | 7% | 11% | 16% | 16% | 38% |
Specialist | 14% | 8% | 12% | 18% | 12% | 37% |
Coordinator | 18% | 8% | 17% | 20% | 10% | 28% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 21% | 7% | 15% | 19% | 11% | 28% |
Manager | 15% | 13% | 17% | 18% | 12% | 25% |
Assistant | 14% | 10% | 11% | 23% | 17% | 24% |
Owner | 14% | 12% | 19% | 26% | 5% | 24% |
Senior leader | 23% | 18% | 19% | 19% | 5% | 16% |
Overall total | 15% | 9% | 14% | 19% | 12% | 31% |
Interns have a symmetrical distribution between in-person and remote work as a reason for retention. On the other hand, most analysts prefer 100% remote work. Thus, it can be seen that the area of activity influences this result.
Working hour flexibility |
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Intern | 2% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 20% | 60% |
Analyst | 1% | 1% | 6% | 12% | 22% | 58% |
Specialist | 2% | 3% | 5% | 14% | 23% | 52% |
Owner | 7% | 5% | 7% | 17% | 17% | 48% |
Assistant | 3% | 4% | 10% | 16% | 20% | 47% |
Coordinator | 7% | 5% | 7% | 19% | 19% | 43% |
Manager | 3% | 4% | 8% | 19% | 26% | 40% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 2% | 5% | 6% | 22% | 28% | 37% |
Senior leader | 4% | 5% | 13% | 19% | 24% | 34% |
Overall total | 3% | 4% | 8% | 17% | 23% | 46% |
When it comes to flexibility, this factor is considered very important (score of 5) by all hierarchical levels.
Direct management (who I report to) |
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Senior leader | 1% | 4% | 7% | 9% | 26% | 54% |
Manager | 2% | 1% | 6% | 10% | 29% | 52% |
Coordinator | 4% | 3% | 5% | 12% | 27% | 49% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 2% | 3% | 4% | 11% | 31% | 49% |
Assistant | 3% | 2% | 5% | 16% | 27% | 47% |
Specialist | 2% | 3% | 4% | 18% | 26% | 47% |
Analyst | 3% | 2% | 7% | 15% | 27% | 47% |
Owner | 2% | 2% | 7% | 12% | 33% | 43% |
Intern | 7% | 4% | 9% | 11% | 27% | 42% |
Overall total | 2% | 2% | 6% | 13% | 28% | 49% |
Organizational culture |
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Senior leader | 2% | 0% | 3% | 9% | 28% | 58% |
Manager | 1% | 2% | 4% | 9% | 28% | 58% |
Analyst | 2% | 1% | 4% | 11% | 25% | 57% |
Owner | 5% | 0% | 0% | 14% | 26% | 55% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 1% | 0% | 5% | 13% | 27% | 54% |
Specialist | 0% | 1% | 4% | 15% | 26% | 53% |
Assistant | 2% | 0% | 7% | 14% | 28% | 49% |
Coordinator | 2% | 0% | 7% | 13% | 36% | 43% |
Intern | 4% | 4% | 11% | 11% | 27% | 42% |
Overall total | 1% | 1% | 5% | 12% | 28% | 54% |
The hierarchical level does not influence the importance of who people report to and organizational culture. Both factors are equally relevant to talent retention.
Career development prospects |
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Intern | 2% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 20% | 76% |
Assistant | 2% | 1% | 2% | 5% | 16% | 75% |
Analyst | 1% | 0% | 2% | 7% | 18% | 73% |
Specialist | 0% | 0% | 2% | 10% | 18% | 69% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 1% | 1% | 3% | 11% | 19% | 65% |
Coordinator | 1% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 26% | 64% |
Owner | 2% | 0% | 2% | 14% | 21% | 60% |
Manager | 1% | 1% | 2% | 10% | 30% | 57% |
Senior leader | 0% | 2% | 5% | 12% | 36% | 44% |
Overall total | 1% | 1% | 2% | 9% | 22% | 65% |
Salary and bonus |
|
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Analyst | 1% | 1% | 2% | 4% | 18% | 73% |
Specialist | 0% | 1% | 2% | 7% | 19% | 71% |
Coordinator | 1% | 1% | 4% | 7% | 20% | 68% |
Owner | 0% | 2% | 0% | 10% | 21% | 67% |
Manager | 0% | 2% | 1% | 7% | 27% | 64% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 2% | 1% | 1% | 11% | 24% | 61% |
Assistant | 1% | 1% | 4% | 10% | 25% | 60% |
Senior leader | 2% | 1% | 2% | 10% | 27% | 58% |
Intern | 4% | 0% | 0% | 13% | 24% | 58% |
Overall total | 1% | 1% | 2% | 8% | 23% | 66% |
Regarding pay and prospects for career growth, these factors were important for everyone and the dominant ones for interns, analysts and specialists.
Company’s training/development structure |
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Assistant | 1% | 1% | 5% | 7% | 23% | 63% |
Intern | 4% | 2% | 0% | 13% | 20% | 60% |
Analyst | 2% | 1% | 5% | 13% | 27% | 51% |
Owner | 5% | 2% | 5% | 17% | 21% | 50% |
Specialist | 2% | 2% | 8% | 11% | 29% | 48% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 1% | 0% | 8% | 15% | 31% | 45% |
Coordinator | 2% | 2% | 11% | 17% | 23% | 45% |
Manager | 2% | 5% | 10% | 22% | 28% | 33% |
Senior leader | 2% | 9% | 9% | 26% | 29% | 26% |
Overall total | 2% | 3% | 8% | 16% | 27% | 46% |
Stability |
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Assistant | 2% | 2% | 1% | 8% | 22% | 65% |
Intern | 2% | 2% | 0% | 4% | 27% | 64% |
Analyst | 2% | 3% | 5% | 16% | 24% | 50% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 1% | 2% | 8% | 19% | 23% | 47% |
Specialist | 2% | 2% | 5% | 17% | 27% | 47% |
Owner | 10% | 5% | 7% | 19% | 19% | 40% |
Coordinator | 2% | 1% | 8% | 20% | 32% | 37% |
Manager | 4% | 4% | 10% | 22% | 32% | 29% |
Senior leader | 4% | 3% | 12% | 25% | 29% | 26% |
Overall total | 3% | 3% | 7% | 18% | 27% | 44% |
Feeling recognized for my work |
|
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|
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Intern | 4% | 0% | 2% | 7% | 18% | 69% |
Consultant/Supervisor | 1% | 1% | 2% | 8% | 19% | 68% |
Manager | 0% | 1% | 2% | 7% | 22% | 68% |
Analyst | 2% | 1% | 1% | 7% | 22% | 68% |
Specialist | 0% | 1% | 3% | 7% | 23% | 66% |
Coordinator | 1% | 1% | 4% | 7% | 25% | 63% |
Owner | 2% | 2% | 0% | 7% | 26% | 62% |
Assistant | 2% | 1% | 2% | 10% | 23% | 61% |
Senior leader | 0% | 2% | 2% | 12% | 26% | 59% |
Overall total | 1% | 1% | 2% | 8% | 23% | 66% |
Comparison between survey results in 2019 and 2022
The graphs below present a comparison of engagement and attractiveness, broken down by gender, between the surveys carried out in 2019 and 2022:
Sample
The survey was aimed at understanding the factors that are capable of attracting or retaining talent in companies, looking at certain aspects such as area of activity, hierarchical levels, main values and credibility. The sample was composed of men (61.67%), women (38.10%) and people who do not identify with either of these genders (0.23%). In all, 1,761 Brazilians took the questionnaire.
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