Businesses Struggle to Keep Up with Technological and Cultural Shifts in the Workplace, Finds New Report from Udemy

Survey reveals fractured employee experience across genders and generations and shows need for proactive investment in a learning culture

San Francisco — September 19, 2018 — Udemy, the global marketplace for learning and teaching online, released today “Udemy In Depth: 2018 Employee Experience Report.” The survey of more than 1,000 full-time employees in the U.S. examines elements that shape the workplace experience and how organizations can keep pace with changing expectations. While the research shows positive sentiment around the work environment, it also shows that stark gaps persist across demographics, from gender and age to education level and job title.

“In today’s competitive hiring market, employees are looking for companies where they can fulfill their potential, build careers, and find meaning in their work. Our new study uncovers underlying issues that, if left unchecked, can lead to frustrated workers and employee attrition. Employers should invest in talent development, from onboarding to leadership training, and make all of these resources available to everyone in the organization.” says Darren Shimkus, general manager for Udemy for Business, a curated learning platform that helps enterprises continuously upskill their workforce and foster a culture of learning.

Experience: The Gender Divide

The daily experience of women in the workplace leaves many feeling unsupported, according to the research. For example, only half (50%) of women report meeting with their managers monthly compared to 66 percent of men.

• Lack of Support: Forty-five percent of women believe their manager does not demonstrate interest in their career; this compares with 30% of men.
• Managing Gender Preference: While most respondents have no preference between a male or female manager, a scant 11% say they’d rather have a female manager, compared with 27% who would rather work for a man.

Onboarding: The Pressure is On from Day One

The majority of survey respondents (69%) say they feel there is an expectation to show impact at a new job in less than three months. This pressure is even greater for certain demographic groups, who feel a heightened need to prove themselves.

• Great (Uneven) Expectations: This pressure to demonstrate immediate value in a new job is felt more strongly by women (37%), older employees (35%), non-managers (36%), and those without a college degree (37%).  
• Is Everyone on Board: The majority of respondents (73%) receive some kind of onboarding and most (69%) rate it good or excellent.

Leadership: The Cost of Poorly Trained Managers

Strong leaders help keep organizations moving; yet, according to the survey, many managers aren’t making the grade. Nearly half (46%) say they have quit a job because of a manager.

• Jumping the Gun: Fifty-six percent of employees say managers at their company get promoted into management before they are ready; 60% think managers need “manager training.”

Methodology

This online survey was conducted by Toluna Group on behalf of Udemy in August 2018 among more than 1,000 U.S. full-time employees who are ages 18 or older. Complete methodology available upon request.

 

About Udemy

Udemy was founded in 2010 with the aim of improving lives through learning. Udemy is a global marketplace for learning and teaching online where more than 24 million students learn from an extensive library of 80,000 courses taught by expert instructors in over 50 different languages. Whether learning for professional development or personal enrichment, students can master new skills through self-paced, on-demand courses, while instructors have a way to share their knowledge with the world. For companies, Udemy for Business offers subscription access to a collection of business-relevant courses as well as a simple platform to host and distribute their own content in one central place. Udemy is privately owned and headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Denver, CO, Ireland, Turkey, and Brazil.