The mindset of executives and employees in the South-East

EXECUTIVES
While a majority of South-East executives (80%) report a positive mindset, they are fewer than the national average (87% for all executives). This is likely due to a crisis outcome on which they can capitalize less than their counterparts in other regions.
Only 52% of them consider that the crisis helped their company progress, compared with 58% on average. In fact, fewer than 40% say that the pandemic context allowed them to create new development opportunities for their company (39% vs. 54% on average).
Beyond the smaller transformations the crisis has brought to their companies, South-East business leaders also feel they have progressed less in their role as executives than the national average (55% vs. 63%). Only 39% now want to express their emotions more (vs. 53% for all executives). Beneath their shell, 19% even declare they need “nothing” to feel more at ease daily (vs. 10% nationally).

Having experienced a probably more difficult situation than other regions—the commerce, hotel-restaurant, and transport sectors being overrepresented in this subsample—South-East executives seem to have had fewer opportunities to progress, being more focused on their company’s survival.
For executives in this region, priorities are mainly commercial: 54% aim to maintain activity (vs. 50%), and 27% to develop new activities (vs. 21%), diversification they have been less able to implement in recent months.

Less focused on employee well-being than on catching up, South-East executives’ main HR priorities are:
44% prioritize developing their teams’ professional skills (vs. 30% overall);
27% aim to develop soft skills and behavioral competencies (vs. 15%);
17% prioritize transforming roles and job functions (vs. 11%).
They are also 51% focused on employee recognition (vs. 42%), likely following these developments.
Today, 73% declare they would need to seek more external help or advice (vs. 67% nationally).

EMPLOYEES
South-East employees are also less critical than the average:
78% are satisfied with their leaders’ crisis management (71% nationally), the area where they stand out the most;
65% approach the coming months positively (61% nationally).
Their needs in the coming months are very similar to those of North-West employees: most feel they need a salary increase (59% vs. 49% on average). However, unlike those in the North-West, many also express a need for encouragement (28% vs. 21% on average).
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OpinionWay survey for Grant Alexander