At the ongoing 2013 Aspen Ideas Festival, Thomson Reuters released a new global survey titled, “The Professional Revolution.” The survey—which polled more than 1,000 professionals in Brazil, China, India, the United Kingdom and the United States—explores the current professional environment, as well as expectations for the future workforce.
The data, according to Thomson Reuters, “reveals a workforce that is unified by their power of curiosity and global connectivity rather than by their race, class, gender or age.” The desire for global connectivity is evident on the technological front. A staggering 90 percent of professionals who telecommute at least once a day use at least one social media platform. The survey also reports 19 percent higher job satisfaction among professionals whose organizations allow them to participate in online groups and/or chat rooms, than among those whose organizations prohibit such activity.
According to the survey, today’s professionals crave a sense of purpose and impact in their work. A majority (56 percent) said they want to work for a company that makes a positive impact on the world, even if that means accepting slightly less monetary compensation. When asked what defines a person as a professional, 77 percent said knowledge—followed by skills (76 percent) and work experiences (65 percent).
“Our research findings demonstrate that today’s professionals desire more than a paycheck—they are in search of a meaningful and purpose-driven professional life,” said Peter Warwick, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Thomson Reuters.
