Study: Employers Don't Understand Their Employees' Needs

A recent survey of senior business leaders in Singapore found that most of them believe they provide a great employee experience (EX). The same survey showed that their employees disagreed. This discrepancy directly impacts retention rates and can become a more significant issue as Singapore faces a talent shortage and economic headwinds in 2023.

Qualtrics, an experience management company, released findings from its 2023 Employee Experience Trends Report.It is based on 1,000 responses from workers in Singapore. The study showed that 41% of senior and executive leaders said their expectations at work are being met compared to only 26% of middle managers and junior employees.

Middle managers and junior employees reported lower levels of engagement, intent to stay, well-being, and inclusion. A reduction in the number of middle- and junior-level employees who felt their career goals could be met with their current employers contributed to the decrease in engagement (58%). Meanwhile, growth and development remain the top factors for staying.

Satisfaction with pay also varied between the two groups — the gap is increasing yearly. Only 59% of middle managers and junior employees said they were paid fairly for their work compared to 76% of senior and executive leaders.

The Qualtrics study revealed employers that close this EX gap could increase employee retention and productivity. Across all workforce levels, employees whose expectations were met at work were 4.1 times more likely to stay with and beyond.

“Against the backdrop of increasing rates of burnout, financial stresses caused by the rising cost of living, and evolving employee needs, the Qualtrics findings must serve as a wakeup call for business and HR leaders in Singapore. There is a clear gap in the experience organizations think they’re delivering to their teams and what’s actually being provided, and failure to address it can have serious implications — from struggling to retain top talent, cultivating employee well-being, and maintaining productivity and performance,” said Lauren Huntington, employee experience solution strategist for Southeast Asia at Qualtrics.

In addition to closing the employee experience gap between leaders and their teams, the Qualtrics 2023 Employee Experience Trends Report pinpoints key trends employers should focus on to ensure employee expectations are met. They include improving onboarding and enablement for new employees, prioritizing employee growth and development, having company values employees believe in and regularly see demonstrated, and evolving workplace technologies, processes, and resources to improve employee well-being and productivity.

Image credit: iStockphoto/Chinnapong