Despite U.S. Government Partial Shutdown, Corporate Professionals Still Believe Their Jobs Are Less Secure than Those of Federal Workers, According to Korn Ferry Survey

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-- Nearly 90 Percent Would Rather Work for a Corporation than the Government --

-- Vast Majority Say a Work Stoppage/Strike at Their Company Would Hurt Motivation --

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As the U.S. government partial shutdown continues and hundreds of thousands of workers are either furloughed or working without pay, a new Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY) survey of corporate professionals shows that federal workers aren’t the only ones worried about their jobs.

Only one quarter (25 percent) of the professionals surveyed say they believe their corporate jobs are more secure than U.S. government jobs, though 89 percent said they’d still prefer to work in a corporation instead of the government.

When asked how the government shutdown will impact their own businesses, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) are worried it will have a negative trickle-down effect. Nearly half (48 percent) say the shutdown is affecting the morale of their employees, and nearly a third (31 percent) say it is affecting the productivity of their employees.

According to the survey, 70 percent of the corporate respondents said they believed government workers would be less engaged upon their return to work. When asked what would happen in their own company if there was a work stoppage/strike, 87 percent said workers would be less motivated upon their return, with nearly half (47 percent) saying employees would be much less motivated.

About the Survey – The Korn Ferry survey of corporate professionals was conducted in January 2019 and garnered 364 responses. Note, due to rounding percentages may not equal 100.

Survey Responses

In your opinion, whose job is more secure?
U.S. federal government employees 75 percent
Corporate employees 25 percent
 

Who would you rather work for?

U.S. government 11 percent
Private industry/corporation 89 percent
 

To what extent is the U.S. Federal government shutdown affecting the morale of your employees?

To a great extent 7 percent
To some extent 41 percent
To no extent 52 percent
 
To what extent is the U.S. Federal government shutdown affecting the productivity of your employees?
To a great extent 8 percent
To some extent 23 percent
To no extent 69 percent
 

To what extent are you concerned that the U.S. Federal government shutdown could have a trickle-down effect, creating a negative impact on your business?

To a great extent 24 percent
To some extent 39 percent
To no extent 37 percent
 

In your opinion, will government workers be more engaged or less engaged on the job when they return from the government shutdown?

Less engaged 70 percent
More engaged 30 percent
 

How would a work stoppage/strike at your company impact the motivation of your company's employees?

Make them much less motivated 47 percent
Make them somewhat less motivated 40 percent
Make them somewhat more motivated 7 percent
Make them much more motivated 7 percent
 

Are you worried there will be more competition for jobs in the private sector as government employees look for new opportunities?

Yes 26 percent
No 74 percent

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We help clients synchronize strategy and talent to drive superior performance. We work with organizations to design their structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people to bring their strategy to life. And we advise them on how to reward, develop, and motivate their people.

Tracy Kurschner
612.309.3957
Tracy.Kurschner@kornferry.com

Source: Korn Ferry

Released January 24, 2019