When it comes to the gap between what employees are looking for and what employers actually provide, does it really matter?
The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’ on both sides, for both employee’s wellbeing and career growth, as well as for the employer’s productivity and the bottom line.
Yet recent research in the 2022 Tivian Experience Intelligence Report, which surveyed 1,000 office workers and 100 managers, found that it’s not so much a gap in expectations but a gaping chasm.
What the data tells us
Fundamentally, the latest research shows us that the gap between what employees want and what they actually experience in the workplace from HR, is enormous. This will and does drive disloyalty, malcontent, lower productivity and ultimately, resignations. For employees, they vote with their feet and look for a new role. The employer loses out too, especially in an atmosphere of skills and candidate shortages.
The data shows that 67% of employees report that they are more likely to stay committed to an employer if their employer listens to them and makes changes based on their feedback.
Now this is where it gets really interesting. 85% of HR staff believe they are listening, and using employee feedback to make changes to the experience they provide. However, only 14% of employees actually think their employer does effectively listen. Only 50% of employees agree that HR staff at least try to listen. 70% of employees feel they have little to no influence over the way things are done. A staggering 38% believe that their employers are rarely or never open to their ideas.
In a time when the recruitment market is tight and employees can relatively easily choose to go and work elsewhere, this is a problem for businesses and they need to take note.
As Peter Wilde, Head of Employee Experience at Tivian says,
“Employee feedback programmes should be helping companies battle the Great Resignation – but the data shows that they are fundamentally broken. Even more worrying is that unlike staff, most HR professionals believe they are still effective.”
So what does this mean, on the ground?
The employee experience and what’s expected
The core issue with employee feedback is that it is very easy for it to become a tick box exercise. Without effort, it becomes about paying lip service to listening to employees, rather than truly listening and acting. This is futile and pointless. Indeed, you could argue that it makes employee frustration even higher.
The report reveals that 97% want to work for open and transparent organisations (only 55% believe they do). Employees tell us what they want, we just need to listen. The report also shows that employees want to be treated in a personalised and individualised way.
The good news is that listening to employees and actively getting them involved with the employee experience isn’t actually rocket science. It just needs a conscious approach. And it’s worthwhile.
As Peter Wilde goes on to explain, employers need to start
“thinking like marketers”.
Get it right and employees want to stay and work their best, and this adds value to the business.
Are you experiencing a gap between your expectations and your workplace experience?
Now’s a great time to look for new jobs. Find out more about F1rst Commercial.
