According to a new report, up to three quarters of Australian workers are confident they will be receiving a pay rise in the next 12 months.
Confidence in employers has led to 75 percent of Australian employees believing they will get a pay rise in 2013, compared to 52 percent in 2010, according to the Randstad ‘Workmonitor: Employee expectations for 2013’ report.
Similar confidence in a pay increase in 2013 is not being felt around the world, particularly by countries in Europe, such as France and Germany showing only around half of all workers believe they will receive a pay rise.
The global research also reveals that 76 percent of workers believe they are entitled or deserve a financial reward for the work they’ve done in the past year.
This figure is unsurprising when coupled with the figure of 73 percent of survey respondents claiming that their workload increased in 2012.
Managing director Asia Pacific of Randstad, a recruitment and HR specialist firm, Deb Loveridge, says, “A patchwork economy is still visible in Australia with some businesses struggling while others show strong growth, so it is vital people have realistic expectations when it comes to pay rises.
“Business leaders need to be open and honest with employees at all levels, about how the business is performing, the challenges, impacts and how as a team you can work together to achieve growth. This will help avoid mismatched salary expectations, feelings of disappointment, resentment and not being valued, which can lead to disengagement and the need to look for alternative employment.
The survey was conducted through online interviews of employees aged between 18-65, with a minimum sampling size of 400 people per country.
Other Australian specific results reveal that improved work-life balance is still an important aim for workers, with 79 percent desiring a better balance- 25 percent strongly desiring a better balance. Australian workers are also confident in their business’ success, with 72 percent claiming confidence in their employer’s financial performance for 2013.
