Asian Employers Blind To Growing EX Gap

Quiet quitting, great resignation, and hybrid working — these global HR challenges, now prevalent in Asia, all point to the importance of employee experience (EX) in 2023.

EX is going to make or break the workplace of the future. But not many employers in Asia understand what their teams want for EX. 

Almost half (45%) of knowledge workers highlighted a disconnection between employees and senior leaders, according to a study conducted by collaborative technology provider Slack. The study covered 1,000 Singapore-based knowledge workers from companies with more than 100 employees.

The disconnect is especially obvious among businesses forcing talents to return to the office as we begin the first post-pandemic year in the region. 

The disconnected workplace

Forrester’s Future of Work Survey 2022 shows that 68% of employees who can work remotely hope to work from home more often than they did pre-pandemic. But not all leaders are convinced. 

Some firms, like Goldman Sachs, force the entire workforce to return to the office. Forrester predicted that 40% of Asia businesses would do the same and undo their anywhere-work policies. Inflexible operations and a lack of trust in people provides more evidence of the EX disconnect. 

“In 2023, we predict acute confrontations within companies that don’t listen to and collaborate with employees in shaping hybrid-work policies. Adherence to in-office policies is already sketchy at best, and the threat of attrition looms large,” stated the Forrester report. 

Meanwhile, those that support hybrid working also face challenges in enabling EX and advocating corporate culture. 

Gartner noted that 60% of hybrid-working employees say their direct manager is their most direct connection to company culture. Yet, the increasingly dynamic and competitive working environment is drowning mid-level managers, leaving them out of their depth. 

“They feel pressure from above and below: they must implement a corporate strategy with regard to hybrid work while also providing a sense of purpose, flexibility, and career opportunities,” stated Gartner’s 9 Future of Work Trends 2023 report.

Management is a skill, and for most people, it takes practice. Without adequate training and support, mid-level managers face the dual pressures of remote work and employees’ evolving expectations. This is amplifying poor management and damaging EX.

From Great Resignation to Quiet Quitting

Poor management and EX directly led to the great resignation in 2022. In 2023, it is causing quiet quitting, a rising trend identified at Harvard Business Review.

“Driven by many of the same underlying factors as actual resignations, quiet quitting refers to opting out of tasks beyond one’s assigned duties. Quiet quitters continue to fulfill their primary responsibilities, but they are less willing to engage — no more staying late, showing up early, or attending non-mandatory meetings,” stated the HBR article.

Despite its more-nuanced implications, a workforce willing to go beyond the call of duty is a critical competitive advantage for many companies. 

The Slack report noted poor communication from leaders is strongly related to quiet quitting. Half of the workers (51%) who reported their leaders don’t communicate well admitted that they’ve wound back their efforts. That’s more than eight times the rate of those that said their leaders communicate well (6%). 

Supporting mid-level managers becomes crucial 

Gartner suggested refreshing training and redoubling support for mid-level managers to address these shortcomings. The firm noted the approach back in 2019 no longer applied in 2023 to drive EX. In addition, organizations should also clarify managers’ priorities and help them reallocate time and resources. 

One element of training, suggested by the Slack report, is communication and the use of collaborative technology. The report found 40% of employees that experienced good leadership had leaders who used collaborative technology more than anyone in the organization. 

To help managers clarify their priorities and reallocate their time and resources, the Academy to Innovate HR(AIHR) suggests using algorithmic management to track, evaluate, and manage workers strategically. 

Algorithmic management for EX

AIHR noted that algorithmic management offered personalized performance feedback. It is particularly beneficial for tracking remote work. AIHR highlighted Deliveroo, which sends couriers personalized monthly reports on their performance that indicate average ‘time to accept orders’, ‘travel time to customer’, and other trackable metrics. 

These performance trackers also create insights into employees’ progress for remote managers. AIHR found algorithms could better analyze employees’ goals and recommend the proper training to reach these goals. They can also track and evaluate what matters most to employees’ well-being and motivation and offer recommendations to managers on how to increase employee well-being.

But algorithmic management also comes with a set of challenges. Since decisions are made based on data, poor data quality or human bias in the algorithm could bring damaging results.

One example is Amazon’s AI recruiting tool. The machine taught itself that male candidates were preferred over female applicants, restricting applications that included the word “women’s.” It also downgraded applicants who went to all-women colleges. Eventually, Amazon stopped using this algorithm.

Another potential challenge with algorithmic management is its “black-box” character. Algorithms may not always be transparent to explain precisely how the algorithm works, creating accountability and trust issues. 

A way of working and managing

Managing talent in 2023 faces historic challenges. The Slack report mentioned that the macro environment shapes many organizations’ internal employee sentiment. 

With half of the knowledge workers in Singapore (50%) stating their leaders are "stuck in their ways of working," senior and mid-level managers should seek fresh ways of managing as the organizations move into a new way of working. 

Regardless of communication tools or algorithmic management, driving EX takes priority in 2023. It is no longer about individual programs on mental health or physical health but a balance of data-driven with trust-oriented management, new ways of working with new ways of communicating, and most importantly, balancing technology with humanity. 

The question is will Asian employers listen?

Sheila Lam is the contributing editor of DigitalWorkforceTrends. Covering IT for 20 years as a journalist, she has witnessed the emergence, hype, and maturity of different technologies but is always excited about what's next. You can reach her at [email protected].

Image credit: iStockphoto/Marcos Calvo