Employees Crave Flexible, Accessible Workplaces, Research Shows

Employees want to see a return to core relationship skills in the workplace, according to the Qualtrics 2024 Employee Experience report. This is an opportunity for organizations to differentiate their employee experience, going back to the basics of respect, growth and trust as core expected behaviors. In the age of technology and marketplace uncertainty, employees are craving predictability in their work environments.

The research shows employees want:

• Flexibility (hybrid work)
• Use of AI (responsibly)
• To be heard (including leaders taking real action in response to feedback)
• Opportunities for growth and development (feedback and coaching)
• To feel respected and psychologically safe (with the ability to use their unique gifts)

Flexibility

Hybrid work is here to stay. For jobs that can be done remotely, work-from-home flexibility is a key need of workers. Although there are generational differences, overall, 79% of employees felt most included when working one to three days a week from home. One best practice for inclusion is to decide as a team or organization key days of the week that the team is expected to be in the office. That levels the playing field for all employees to know what is expected and to have opportunities to connect in person.

Use of AI

Fifty-six percent of engaged employees are comfortable with AI use at work, yet only 30% of disengaged employees are comfortable with it. This signals a distrust from the less-engaged employees in terms of how the technology will be used. Of the engaged employees, most see AI as a productivity tool, automating the more mundane tasks that consume time, saving time for deeper work. The key to success is to clearly communicate the organization’s stance on AI, including how it expects to responsibly use the technology and its impacts on job roles.

Employees Want To Be Heard

Less than half of employees cited positive changes from past survey results, and only 60% trust leadership (this percentage is much lower for frontline employees). It can be frustrating to take a survey and never be informed about what actions will be taken from the results—or even worse, to not know the results at all. If leaders don’t like the results of past surveys, that doesn’t change the way people feel. Openly communicating the results without blame or shame is pivotal to meeting employees where they are. They want to be heard and know that their voices matter.

Opportunities for Growth and Development

Growth and development remains one of the most important areas for employees, yet consistently ranks in the bottom in terms of how employees perceive their organization’s approach. This disconnect suggests an opportunity for organizations to be high-potential talent magnets through growth-and-development opportunities. A reputation for growth and development is widely shared on job-review platforms like Indeed and GlassDoor. Employees want jobs that upskill them for future roles.

This doesn’t necessarily mean promotions or pay increases. Growth and development can happen through feedback and coaching. Teaching leaders to give feedback throughout the year (not just in performance reviews) with proven models like SBI or the STAR method help lower the stress and discomfort of giving feedback. Coaching skills can also be taught to leaders with models like the GROW model. Once these human skills are modeled by leaders, it becomes more organic for others to model and sets up a culture of continuous feedback and growth.

To Feel Respected and Psychologically Safe at Work

Psychological safety remains one of the lowest-ranked items in terms of results and one of the highest in terms of needs. Being respected and feeling safe are core primal human needs. Aside from being physically safe and having basic needs like food, water and shelter met, humans are wired to connect and belong as a social species. Being isolated is dangerous to a human’s survival. Yet, workplaces often operate in silos with people disconnected from others.

Psychological safety means being able to speak up about hard things without the fear of retribution. It is highly correlated with team performance. Consider asking your team:

1. How safe do you feel speaking up about difficult issues?
2. How comfortable are you challenging the status quo?
3. What is your comfort level admitting mistakes and failures?

These questions can open the door to a larger conversation about culture and how the organization can improve.

Remember, few organizations are where they want to be with their employee experience. Admitting there are areas to improve is the first step. With increased technology and uncertainty, employees want more humanity in the workplace. Think about flexibility, the responsible use of AI, being heard, growth and development and psychological safety as opportunities for 2024 and beyond.

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This post was previously published on Forbes and is republished on Medium.

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