The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a variety of new obstacles in the workplace for employees. Many employees were thrust into a remote environment that disrupted typical work practices. Ultimately, employees felt the burden of this abrupt change and admitted that their professional growth was stifled in the past year. To be precise, of the 1,300 U.S. adults surveyed, 73 percent said they had not grown professionally during that time, according to a new Yoh survey conducted online by The Harris Poll.

On the other side of the coin, some Americans were able to garner new skill-building tactics—specifically, the resiliency to overcome change and become more flexible and adaptable. The results concluded that nearly 2 in 5 (39 percent) say they have found new ways to be more flexible and adaptable in their job during the past year. To nail home the point of overall resiliency exhibited by the American workforce during these unprecedented times, 76 percent say they have not found it a challenge to do their job at the same level during the past year as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are all of the fundamentals that the Yoh/Harris Poll collected.

Want a more immersive look into the findings from the Yoh/Harris Poll. Watch the video below.

DEMOGRAPHICS MOST STRONGLY IMPACTED

Younger professionals are more likely to have experienced growth in their careers in the past year. 36 percent of those aged 18-34 say they have grown professionally. That is the highest rating of all the age groups (vs. 25 percent aged 35-54, 19 percent aged 55-64, and 15 percent aged 65+).  

33 percent of college graduates say they have added new skills to their professional repertoire during the past year. Those with a college education are more likely to indicate they learned new professional skills in the past year compared to those with lower levels of education (vs. 22 percent with some college and 21 percent with high school or less education).

44 percent of those with household incomes of $100K+ say they have found ways to be more flexible and adaptable in their jobs during the past year. Those with higher household incomes were more likely to say they found ways to be more flexible and adaptable in their jobs compared to Americans with lower household incomes (vs. 32 percent with household income less than $50k).

LESSONS LEARNED

Navigating the new remote environment presented by the pandemic continues to be an uphill battle for enterprises and employees alike. Only 27 percent of Americans who were employed in the past year grew professionally during that time. Rapid introduction of complex software, inability to facilitate proper communication channels, and lack of engagement are driving forces. Younger professionals witnessed greater professional growth than older generations. It would be naïve to underestimate the impact of technology proficiency in explaining younger generations' professional growth. Either way, the entire American workforce deserves praise for their resiliency and adaptability to these unprecedented times.