Future of the U.S. Worker Survey

WHEN IT COMES TO DEI AND WORKFORCE READINESS AND TRAINING, ONLY A FRACTION OF COMPANIES HAVE BEGUN PUTTING THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS, SAYS A NEW SURVEY FROM 1HUDDLE ON THE FUTURE OF THE U.S. WORKER

The worker skills gap is worsening in the U.S. and companies have yet to address it

NEWARK, N.J., June 15, 2021 — In a nationwide survey of HR leaders at 450+ mid- to large-sized U.S. organizations, workforce tech company 1Huddle that upskills, trains and motivates employees through the use of science-backed, quick-burst mobile games found that companies are way behind when it comes to reskilling and training their workers. 

For example, according to the latest 1Huddle Future of the U.S. Worker Survey: 

• Despite the intense focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) this year, only 1 in 5 companies have updated their DEI training content — much of which has been the same for years.
• Only 15% of managers have gone through any form of DEI training. 
• Perhaps this is because fewer than 10% of the companies surveyed said that they had engaged a DEI expert to help them improve training in order to reduce systemic instances of racism and implicit bias.

“Clearly, we have a lot of work to do to overhaul workforce infrastructure and create a future of work that is equitable and accessible for all workers,” said Sam Caucci, Founder and CEO of 1Huddle. “Failing to think about the long-term development of every worker has a major impact on businesses today: missed sales, lower customer service scores, and higher employee turnover are all a result of failing to make continuous learning accessible to every worker. By prioritizing the lifelong development and training of their workers, companies can build the infrastructure to succeed tomorrow.” 

Other disturbing findings:

• Fewer than 1 in 10 companies make job training accessible to every worker every day of the years.

• Only 13.6% of companies say that every part of their training is cross-platform so that it can be accessed across any screen: mobile phone, tablet, desktop, etc. More than 96% of all workers in America own a mobile phone, yet less than 1% of all workforce training is mobile-first or cross-platform. 

• Only 16% of companies have a dedicated budget for updating their learning and training technology. A tragedy at a time when more than 41 million workers — 31% of the U.S. workforce — lack digital skills. 

Mike Finkelstein, Executive Director of the Global Sports Business Masters Program at Rutgers University, adds: “The pandemic has worsened workforce infrastructure that has long been in need of attention if we are going to build a more diverse, equitable, competitive, and inclusive future of work for all workers.”

The results of the annual 1Huddle Future of the U.S. Worker Survey are distributed to participating companies to let them know how they measure up when it comes to worker preparedness across five key themes: reskilling to help people adjust to workplace changes; aligning public and private sectors to collaborate;  investing in a future of work infrastructure;  supporting workers to learn and upskill at any time;  and eliminating discrimination.

About 1Huddle

1Huddle is a workforce tech company that onboards, upskills, and trains employees through the use of science-backed quick-burst mobile games. With a mobile-first approach to preparing the modern worker, a mobile library of 3,000+ quick-burst employee skill games, an on-demand game marketplace that covers 16 unique workforce skill areas, and the option for personalized content, 1Huddle is changing the way organizations think about their training – from a one-time boring onboarding experience to a continuous motivational tool. Key clients include, Loews Hotels, Novartis, Madison Square Garden, PIMCO, TAO Group, and the United States Air Force. To learn more about 1Huddle and its platform, please visit 1huddle.co.  

Media Contact:

Dana Safa

dana@1huddle.co