Employee Experience industry useful reports – January 2025

Employee Experience Culture Employee Engagement News

4 Minutes

27/01/2025

Here’s links to recent reports we’ve come across that we’ve found interesting and some of our key takeaways from them.

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer

In a supposed era of permacrisis, we now have a 'crisis of grievance'.

Top takeaways:

A slight decline in overall employer trust of -3 points - Although this is still well inside the 'trust' zone so no real panic.
A +12 rise in five years that business leaders purposely mislead people - This is a concerning trend. What happened to the authentic leadership we read so much about during the pandemic?
Almost half of respondents suggested they have a low trust in AI than high - but then again, people distrusted the wheel.
Significantly more people have a general low trust of CEOs than high - Not surprising as you only really read negative stories about them in the mass media.

Taken on face-value, this is a negative trust outlook. It has to be considered, though, that, for example, around 1,000 people in the UK took the survey out of 68 million citizens. But, still, the trends aren't positive.

One starting point would be to eliminate the say-do gap that Engage for Success have been talking about for over a decade now.

Link to report: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2025/trust-barometer

EX: little budget, little buy-in, little breakthrough

The EX Report 2025 paints an immature picture of the EX profession.

Top takeaways:

Only 19% said their organisation has a dedicated EX strategy - And your people are your best asset?
Only 19% agree that their allocated budget enables them to deliver their EX plans and only 15% said they can demonstrate the financial ROI of their EX activities - Feel free to use our EXO ROI Calculator to build the business case for investment.
Only 41% agreed that their work had been focused on the right things to improve EX - This indicates working on hobby horse senior leader projects instead of work of real value.
52% list senior level buy-in as their top priority - The golden goose.
Only 33% are using EX design tools - Would you build a house without an architect?

Do your organisation a favour: move over whoever owns your EX... please let the EXperts in to help.

Link to report: https://www.theexreport.online/

Is your employee experience feeling tired?

HR Executive lists 10 ways to refresh it

Takeaways:

Show younger workers support by seeking input, setting realistic boundaries and foster innovation - A stable of the return to office argument is to provide the right guidance to younger workers... this is difficult to do if 100% online
Companies that prioritise psychological safety will gain a competitive edge - Hopefully this will be true. But people will always be attracted by the brand, even if chewed up and spat out within a few years.
Modern, consumer-grade technology boosts operational efficiency and addresses a critical aspect of work/life balance: flexibility - Employees should have access to the same quality of apps that customers have.
Retain key middle managers - Middle Managers need support and the tools to manage effectively... and those that do deserve rewarding.

As the report states: 'Employee experience thrives when “work is not unnecessarily burdensome.' So, it's important to focus on creative a friction-free EX.

Link to report: https://hrexecutive.com/is-your-employee-experience-feeling-tired-here-are-10-ways-to-refresh-it/