Two-thirds (66%) of respondents view being valued and recognised by their employer as the most important aspect of employment, according to research by Sage People.
Its Why your workforce isn’t working report, which surveyed 3,500 employees aged 16 or over who work at organisations with between 200 and 5,000 employees across Canada, the UK and US, also found that 81% of respondents highly value flexible and remote working opportunities.
The research also found:
- 53% of respondents think office games are a distraction, with 95% believing ping-pong tables are of little value in the workplace, and 91% do not think organisation outings have any value as a benefit.
- 92% of respondents cite positive workforce experiences as important to them.
- 50% of respondents believe their organisation’s HR and people team should increase the value it provides to employees by improving communications and feedback between the workforce and leadership team.
- 47% of respondents have never been asked by their employer how they can improve their working experiences; only 12% of respondents are being asked this on a regular basis.
Paul Burrin (pictured), vice president at Sage People, said: “Attracting and retaining talent is not a new challenge given the global skills crisis, but there are few signs of [organisations] solving the issue. There is a clear disconnect between the employee and the employer in what constitutes a valued and productive workforce experience. Employers must listen, understand what their workforce wants, and crucially, act on this feedback. It’s never been easier to find new job opportunities and if organisations don’t provide positive workforce experiences, [its] staff will go elsewhere.
“Organisations need to make it a priority to know what motivates and drives [its] people, and work with them to create positive experiences so that [employees] are doing their best work. This is essential if we are to avoid productivity and [gross domestic product] stagnating.”