It’s impossible to know what the future holds when it comes to the working world. From new technologies and team dynamics to evolving expectations and processes, employee and workplace trends are a moving target.
To help you get a better idea of some of the things your teams are thinking about in the new year, we asked them! Our latest survey covered workplace trends, employee concerns, and more. Check out what developments were revealed by our 1,026 respondents.
READ MORE: Use Employee Appreciation Incentives to Fight the ‘Great Detachment’
Workplace trends are always changing, and this year, change itself is a trend. Most employees (82%) report that they’ve experienced shifts in their jobs in the past 12 months, including 17% who started a new job. But still, 70% report that they are looking for new employment. Among those respondents, the most cited reasons for job hunting were pay and benefits.
As usual, a higher salary is the most popular answer when employees are asked what would make them more loyal to their employer. Beyond that, though, 39% say more frequent recognition and more rewards and incentives would raise their loyalty—one of the few factors to see a year-over-year increase. Another growing factor: better benefits to help manage inflation, which rose 6 percentage points. More time off, working remotely, and a four-day workweek all dropped as loyalty influencers.
One of the biggest workplace trends right now isn’t a reflection on employee preferences, but rather on company policies: return to office. More employers are requiring team members to be onsite full time or at least a few days a week. But apparently, working from home isn’t the most important factor for employees.
Among the non-salary benefits that employees want, our survey respondents rank a flexible schedule as No. 1, while hybrid work (No. 6) and 100% remote work (No. 7) fall to the bottom of the list. Turns out that employees are more concerned about adjusting their schedules to avoid rush hour, attend appointments, and accommodate school dropoffs and pickups.
An overwhelming majority of employees (87%) have concerns regarding their current employment. Salaries are again, predictably, the largest issues, namely no pay increases (34%) and pay increases that won’t cover the cost of living (30%). An additional quarter of respondents (26%) say they’re worried about layoffs.
However, more than half (53%) of employees say these concerns have neither increased nor decreased their productivity. Only 28% say they’ve become more productive.
The one place productivity has changed is in regard to artificial intelligence. AI is a major buzzword everywhere right now, so it’s no surprise that it’s among the most visible workplace trends as well. Forty-two percent of employees say they have used the technology in the jobs, and of those, 72% cite an increase in productivity as a result.
Adding or optimizing your rewards and recognition strategies can help you adapt to the latest workplace trends. Check out these 5 Employee Incentive Programs That Work.
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
