Here’s links to recent reports we’ve come across that we’ve found interesting and some of our key takeaways from them.
2023 Net Positive Employee Barometer from Paul Polman
Takeaways:
- Just over 40% of respondents believe leaders are only driven by their own gain - maybe they are, maybe they aren't... great internal comms which helps senior leaders deliver the strategic narrative through being visible will help leaders to become 'real people'.
- Around 50% of respondents say they would consider resigning from their job if the values of the company did not align with their own values - this does beg the question why they would join the company in the first place, though?
- More than 50% of respondents want to have a greater role in helping their company change for the better - which is why EX should be designed 'from the people, for the people'.
- The results all point towards employees being ever-concerned about ESG - effective EX will support the 'Social' in ESG.
- More than a third of respondents would consider a pay cut to work for a company which shares their values - easier to say than do! How does this match with many UK public service bodies striking for more pay?
- As a footnote, it's always worth considering how a question is phrased. For example, if asked 'Are you concerned about the planet?' most people will say 'yes' even if they don't consciously take any action. So, how useful is the data? This is why surveys alone aren't enough if you really want to understand employee sentiment.
Ultimately, the more you involve your employees, the more chance you have of getting your EX right. They will tell you what's important to them. The bright leaders will act upon this; the not-so-bright will either not ask at all, or worse, ask and then not listen.
Link to report: https://www.paulpolman.com/conscious-quitting-has-arrived/
Workday Global Survey
Takeaways:
- When asked what flexibility at work means to you, the most popular answer (53%) was having a choice in how I get my work done - more popular than choices in where I work (41%).
- 57% said that their manager regularly supports them - it's open to interpretation what 'support' means but clearly room for improvement here.
- 31% said that they received monthly manager performance feedback - if you don't know how you're performing, how can you improve?
- 79% of those who said they feel a sense of belonging have no plans to leave their employer - evidence of the importance of creating an inclusive workplace.
So, some good evidence here that creating a good-to-great EX will boost retention efforts. It also appears that it’s important not just to focus on where people work from, but how people work and are supported.
Link to report: https://forms.workday.com/en-us/reports/front-line-worker-research-report/form.open.html?step=step1_default
The State of the Frontline Employee Experience in 2023 by ScreenCloud
Takeaways:
- Only 23% of organisations surveyed said that communications from head office reach their entire workforce - nodding to George Bernard Shaw's famous quote: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”.
- 41% of organisations currently have glaring inefficiencies in their day-to-day frontline experience - perhaps pointing to the frontline being seen as second-class EX citizens?
- Only 24% of businesses strongly agreed that health and safety compliance communication is straightforward to deliver - okay, H&S isn't the sexiest type of comms, but if something goes wrong the effects can be devastating.
- 83% of organisations surveyed don’t have an effective way to measure the success of their internal communications strategy - as Peter Drucker says: "What doesn't get measured, doesn't get done."
It’s easy to fire out an all-employee email and think the job is done. It rarely is. So, it’s vital to know and understand how frontline employees want to be communicated with to best ensure that you do. Having focus groups with them and having Champions who you have regular dialogue with will help you to obtain this knowledge.
Link to report: https://www.unleash.ai/employee-experience-and-engagement/the-state-of-the-frontline-employee-experience-in-2023/#resource-download-form