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Chinese White-collar Workers Dissatisfied with Promotion and Vacation Opportunities

Chinese White-collar Workers Dissatisfied with Promotion and Vacation Opportunities

BEIJING, Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Zhaopin Limited ("Zhaopin" or the "Company"), a leading career platform in China focused on connecting users with relevant job opportunities through their career lifecycle, released its 2017 White-collar Worker Satisfaction Index Report. The report found that white-collar workers in China had low satisfaction with their work in 2017 due to limited promotion opportunities, working overtime, and lack of vacations.

Zhaopin conducted its annual survey to gauge white-collar workers' satisfaction levels with their work in 2017. The satisfaction at work was measured by salary, welfare, training, promotion, and interpersonal relationship. More than 12,000 white-collar workers participated in the survey.

Key Findings of Zhaopin Report on Satisfaction Index for White-collar Workers:

  • White-collar workers in China had low satisfaction with their work in 2017, with a satisfaction index of 2.64 (measured from 0 to 5, with 5 as the highest).
  • White-collar workers were most dissatisfied with promotion opportunities, with a satisfaction index of 2.17. Only 27.5% of white-collar workers got promoted in 2017.
  • About 85% of white-collar workers in China had to work overtime each week, and 21.3% had to work overtime 5 to 10 hours each week.
  • About 33.3% of white-collar workers did not take any vacation in 2017, and 25.5% had vacations less than five days.
  • 24% of white-collar workers choose "anxiety" as their keyword for 2017, followed by "poor" with 22.1%.

Most dissatisfied with promotion opportunities

Zhaopin's survey found that the satisfaction index for work was 2.64 in 2017 for white-collar workers. The satisfaction is measured from 0 to 5 with 5 as the highest. The 2017 satisfaction index for work improved from 2.33 in 2016 and 2.28 in 2015, but still remained at a low level.

White-collar workers in China were most dissatisfied with promotion opportunities in 2017, with an index of 2.17, followed by 2.43 for welfare and 2.47 for salary.

2017 work satisfaction index for white-collar workers

Category

Index

Interpersonal relationship

3.14

Training

3.00

Salary

2.47

Welfare

2.43

Promotion

2.17

According to the Zhaopin survey, only 27.5% of white-collar workers got promoted in 2017, and 54.7% said they had no promotion opportunities in 2017.

Breakdown of promotion status in 2017

Status

Percentage

Promoted to mid-level and senior management positions

8.9%

Promoted to senior technical positions

5.1%

Promoted to junior management positions

13.5%

Almost got promoted

13.5%

No promotion opportunities

54.7%

Did not want promotions

4.3%

As to reasons for promotions, 24.2% of white-collar workers believed promotions were based on personal efforts, while 32.8% attributed promotions to company policies.

Reasons concerning promotions in 2017

Reason

Percentage

Company policies

32.8%

Personal efforts

24.2%

High opinion by colleagues and bosses

16.6%

Others

26.4%

About 85% of white-collar workers in China had to work overtime each week, Zhaopin found, and 21.3% of white-collar workers had to work 5 to 10 hours for overtime each week.

Overtime status in 2017

Status (per week)

Percentage

1 to 3 hours

19.3%

3 to 5 hours

17.0%

5 to 10 hours

21.3%

10 to 15 hours

10.1%

15 to 20 hours

9.3%

Over 20 hours

7.9%

Did not work overtime

15.1%

Job satisfaction affected by income and experience

Job satisfaction is highly correlated with income level and work experience, Zhaopin found. White-collar workers with an average monthly salary of RMB8,001 to 10,000 had the highest job satisfaction (2.93), while workers with a salary below RMB2,000 were most dissatisfied with their jobs (1.83).

2017 work satisfaction index by monthly salaries

Monthly salary (RMB)

Index

Above 25,000

2.83

10,001 to 25,000

2.92

8,001 to 10,000

2.93

5,001 to 8,000

2.78

3,001 to 5,000

2.52

2,001 to 3,000

2.31

Below 2,000

1.83

White-collar workers with more accumulated work experience were more rational with their jobs, and tended to have higher satisfaction. Newly-graduated employees with less than one year experience, disillusioned by the reality of moving into the workforce, had the lowest job satisfaction (2.36).

2017 work satisfaction index by experience

Experience

Index

Within 1 year

2.36

1 to 3 years

2.49

3 to 5 years

2.62

5 to 8 years

2.80

8 to 10 years

2.81

Over 10 years

2.68

Among different types of companies, white-collar workers in joint ventures had the highest job satisfaction with an index of 3.08, followed by 2.79 for wholly foreign-owned enterprises (including HK, Macao and Taiwan). Employees at private companies had the lowest job satisfaction (2.58).

2017 work satisfaction index by types of companies

Type of company

Index

Joint ventures

3.08

Wholly foreign-owned enterprises
(including HK, Macao and Taiwan)

2.79

State-owned enterprises

2.74

Public institutions

2.69

Private companies

2.58

In terms of age groups, white-collar workers born in the 1980s and 1970s had relatively high job satisfaction as they had more work experience. With limited work experience, workers born after 1995 were most dissatisfied with their jobs (2.42).

2017 work satisfaction index  by demographics

Age Group

Index

Born after 1995

2.42

Born between 1990 and 1995

2.53

Born in the 1980s

2.76

Born in the 1970s

2.75

Born in the 1960s

2.50

One third had no vacations in 2017

Zhaopin survey found that 33.3% of white-collar workers did not take any vacation in 2017, and 25.5% had vacations less than five days in 2017.

Breakdown of vacations by white-collar workers in 2017

Details

Percentage

Too busy with work and no vacations

33.3%

1 to 5 days

25.5%

5 to 10 days

19.2%

10 to 15 days

9.6%

15 to 20 days

3.6%

More than 20 days

8.8%

When asked to summarize 2017 with one keyword, 24% of white-collar workers choose "anxiety", followed by "poor" with 22.1%.

2017 keyword for white-collar workers

Word

Percentage

Anxiety

24.0%

Poor

22.1%

Upgrade of knowledge and skill

15.2%

Challenge

11.2%

Sang (dispirited)

7.0%

Self-value realization

7.0%

pass a day as if it were a year

6.3%

Confidence

4.5%

Hard to tell in one word

1.5%

Other

1.3%

For more information, please contact:

Zhaopin Limited 
Ms. Daisy Wang 
Investor Relations 
ir@zhaopin.com.cn

ICR Beijing
Mr. Edmond Lococo
Phone: +86 10 6583-7510
Edmond.Lococo@icrinc.com

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