Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                

The Heard and The Heard Nots

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 15

The Heard and

the Heard-Nots

Who feels heard at work and why giving


employees a voice is good for business
This report, which is based on a global survey of 4,000 employees,
managers, and business leaders across 11 countries, examines how
employees are — or aren’t — feeling heard at their workplace, the
opportunities that people leaders have to better listen to and act
on feedback, and the business imperative to embrace the voice of
the employee.
1 The Heard and the Heard-Nots
The connection between employee voice and business outcomes
Why organizations must transform employee
feedback into actionable change

A note from Dr. Chris Mullen, Ph.D.,


SPHR, SHRM-SCP, executive director
of The Workforce Institute at UKG

There is troubling inequity in the feedback loop at organizations across the globe. Although most employees
feel generally heard by their employer, recent research from The Workforce Institute at UKG reveals the
barriers that exist between employees and their leaders when it comes to actionable change.

Perhaps this stems from the decades-long notion that employees are an organization’s most valuable
asset, when, in fact, they are so much more. They’re tactical and strategic change-makers who see
inefficiency firsthand and often seek to voice critical points of observation and ideas for improvement.
However, more often than not, organizations don’t have the right mechanisms in place to actively listen
to their people — leaving many employees to feel like another cog in the machine rather than a crucial
contributor to company success.

Through this research, we have discovered three core truths about the voice of the employee:

1. People leaders must ensure that all employee voices are heard equally and equitably.

2. Employees count on their managers to not just listen to their feedback, but embrace and
meaningfully act upon it.

3. Investing in the voice of the employee isn’t just good for culture — it’s good for business.

These findings should create difficult but necessary dialogues among employees, managers, and teams
and encourage people leaders to grapple with the realities of their unique employee voices. Do employees
feel comfortable speaking up? When they do voice their concerns, are we using their feedback to innovate?
Ultimately, do we instill transparency, trust, and care in communication across our organization?

I believe that the leaders who succeed at listening to their employees are the ones who recognize that their
employees are the differentiators their organization needs to reach its goals. Instead of focusing squarely
on the bottom line, these leaders recognize that employees who are given a voice are more highly engaged
and have a higher sense of belonging. By harnessing this energy, leaders can ensure their entire workforce is
working in harmony to energize their company culture, serve their customers, and, ultimately, protect and
grow the bottom line.

1 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


The Current State of the
Voice of the Employee

On average, around the globe, 4 in 5 employees


feel heard — but which employees do not?

In spring 2021, we surveyed more than 4,000 employees across 11 countries to put a finger on the
pulse of how employees feel their voice is making an impact at their organization, including asking
the simple question: Do you feel heard at your workplace? Here’s a snapshot of what they told us.

Global response
81% heard not heard 19%

Country Age
Australia 76% 24% 18–24 85% 15%

Canada 73% 27% 25–34 83% 17%

France 77% 23% 35–44 80% 20%

Germany 84% 16% 45–54 77% 23%

India 87% 13% 55–64 80% 20%

Mexico 92% 8% 65+ 85% 15%

Netherlands 86% 14%

New Zealand 76% 24% Sexual orientation


Switzerland 84% 16% Heterosexual 81% 19%

U.K. 77% 23% Homosexual 81% 19%

U.S. 80% 20% Bisexual 82% 18%

A different 87% 13%

Gender sexuality

Male 84% 16%


Veteran status
Female 79% 21%
Veteran 89% 11%
Non-binary 78% 22%
Non-veteran 80% 20%

2 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Disability status
Visible disability 89% 11%

Non-visible disability 83% 17%

Personality
Introvert 79% 21%

Ambivert 81% 19%

Extrovert 86% 14%

Motivation
Achievement-driven 88% 12%

Money-driven 78% 22%

Passion-driven 83% 17%

People-driven 83% 17%

Family-driven 76% 24%

Work status
Remote worker 85% 15%

Hybrid worker 84% 16%

Essential worker 76% 24%

Level
Entry level 75% 25%

Individual contributor 76% 24%

Manager level, no reports 81% 19%

Manager level, at least 1 report 84% 16%

Director and VP level 91% 9%

C-suite 89% 11%

Industry
Healthcare 75% 25%

Public sector & safety 79% 21%

Manufacturing 82% 18%

Retail, hospitality & food service 82% 18%

Services & distribution 84% 16%

Information technology 84% 16%

3 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Not all
employee
voices
are heard
equally
Diving into the demographic
gaps between the heard and
the heard-nots
Even when employees feel their
voice is heard, they don’t see

86% of employees feel people


the tangible impact it makes on
workplace processes or programs.

75%
at their workplace are not heard
fairly or equally

of employees don’t feel heard


47% of employees say that voices of on important workplace topics
underrepresented people in their like benefits, safety, and time-
workplace aren’t being represented. off requests.

40%
These voices are most underrepresented in Australia
(53%), New Zealand (52%), Canada (51%), France (51%),
and Germany (51%).
of employees don’t feel their
feedback leads to actionable
change.

4 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Have we already
forgotten the
essential worker?
Essential workers served an invaluable role
in sustaining the global labor market and
fostering the economic recovery through
critical frontline jobs during the pandemic.
Despite this monumental effort — and several
campaigns to celebrate these employees in
2020 — essential workers are one of the least
heard groups in today’s workplace.

Essential workers, the


backbone of the global
economy, feel largely ignored
by their workplace.

1 in 4 do not feel heard at their


workplace.
Essential workers in Canada (32%), the
U.K. (29%), and the U.S. (27%) feel the
least heard across the globe.

1 in 3 feel they can freely express


their views and suggestions with
their manager.

1 in 3 feel more heard today than they


did at the start of 2020.

5 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


On workplace topics that impact
them more the most, few essential
workers feel heard.

30% Workplace safety

21% Post-COVID-19 workplace policies

18% Work-life balance and burnout

Essential workers feel they have less


influence on company decision-making
than any other worker segment.
76%

Remote workers
67%

Hybrid workers
50%

Essential workers
50% of essential workers feel they have
moderate or high influence on decision-making
at their company — far fewer than remote
workers (76%) and hybrid workers (67%).
Essential workers in New Zealand (35%), Canada
(40%), and Switzerland (41%) feel that they have
the least influence.

6 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Are less experience and tenure
negatively impacting younger workers?
As the newest generation enters the
workforce, young millennials and Gen
Zers — despite feeling heard overall — are
increasingly less confident that their voice
matters in their workplace in specific areas.
Employers should beware of the growing
unconscious bias toward tenured and senior
employees that may overshadow — or
entirely negate — the ambitious up-and-
comers in their organization.

Where do the generational fault lines run deepest?


Only 9% of younger workers believe I feel leaders at my workplace empower
everyone at their workplace is being me to express my views without fear of
heard fairly and equally — making negative consequence
them more than 3x more pessimistic 58%

than older workers. Younger workers


74%
I can freely express my views and suggestions
with my manager Older workers
16%
I feel my voice has been ignored in some way by
Younger workers my manager or employer
67%
78%
Older workers Younger workers
29%
I feel my manager takes my ideas and
feedback seriously Older workers
57%
The three countries where most younger workers
Younger workers feel their voice has been ignored? India (93%), the
76%
U.S. (85%), and France (80%).
Older workers
7 The Heard and the Heard-Nots
Is a growing
caregiving divide
further isolating
child-free employees?
Over the course of the pandemic, many employers
offered new benefits and programs to support
their employees who care for children, partners, or Despite employers’ best efforts,
parents. While caregiving employees have embraced many working parents still see
the additional support, this may have had an adverse
impact on employees with no children or caregiving
opportunities for improvement.
responsibilities — today, they feel less heard by their
manager or employer. 69%

I feel more or much more heard at my workplace of parents feel their voice
now than I did at the beginning of 2020 has been ignored by their
31%
manager or employer.
Non-caregiving employees
55%
58%
Caregiving employees
of parents want to be more
Non-caregivers in Canada (23%), the Netherlands
heard one year from now.
(24%), and the U.K. (29%) feel least heard year
over year.

I feel I have moderate or high influence on


decision-making at my company
56% It is important to demonstrate an open mindset
Non-caregiving employees and deep curiosity about others. Leaders need
74%
to empower others, pay attention to diversity
of thinking, and focus on team cohesion.
Caregiving employees
We learned in the pandemia that emotional
This imbalance of influence is felt most by non- and physical security will be the new mantra
caregivers in Canada (48%), France (51%), and the to manage people. Share, as a leader, your
U.K. (51%) compared to caregivers in their country personal weaknesses; when you share and
(66%, 72%, and 71%, respectively). openly ask information with your employee, you
can demonstrate a humble, unpretentious work
manner, putting others at ease and enabling
them to speak out and voice their opinions.
— Ivonne Vargas Hernández, author, journalist,
and speaker; global advisory board member of
The Workforce Institute at UKG

8 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Where
Employers
Are Missing
the
Feedback On average, only 1 in 5
employees (21%)

Mark feel heard on various


workplace topics.
What do employees feel most
heard on?
Breaking down the
30% Work schedules
communication barriers
will lead to a more 21% Workplace safety

empowering culture 18% Time-off requests


Over the past year, many employers have taken strides
to listen more to their people, and the vast majority of
What do employees feel least
executives believe people across the organization are heard.
heard on?
However, most employees still struggle to feel heard by the
Diversity, equity,
stakeholders, on the topics, and through the platforms that
30% inclusion, and belonging
matter most to them. initiatives

21% The hiring process

Manager or leadership
18%
effectiveness

Employees in Switzerland
(23%), France (24%), and
Germany (25%) felt least
heard on workplace safety.

9 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Where do employees feel people For half of
leaders can better embrace and employees, external
empower their voice? anonymity trumps
internal feedback.
63%

My voice has been ignored in some way by my


manager or employer
48%

My coworkers care more about my views and


concerns than my manager
43%

I’m more likely to tell leaders what I think they


want to hear rather than how I truly feel
47% of employees — and
How do employees feel their voice specifically 53% of younger
isn’t being heard by their manager? workers — are more
likely to share feedback
34% anonymously via a
third-party site, such as
My manager doesn’t take my ideas and
Fairygodboss or Glassdoor,
feedback seriously
than they are via internal
35% channels, such as employee
engagement surveys.
My manager doesn’t care about me as a person
39%

My manager doesn’t proactively seek out my


ideas or feedback

10 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Embracing employee
feedback may
mean the difference
between retaining a
high performer and
recruiting someone to
fill their vacancy.

34% of employees
would rather look for a
position on a different
team or at a different
company than share
their views and concerns
with management.
Employees in India (55%) as
well as younger workers across
the globe (40%) are more likely
to make the switch than voice
their concerns.

One of the worst things that organizations can do is ask for feedback and do nothing with it. The best way to
show employees that you’re listening to them is to do something with the feedback they provide — even if
it’s to consider it and then let the employee know that the organization will not be implementing their idea or
proposal for a specific reason.
— Sharlyn Lauby, SHRM-SCP, author of HR Bartender and president of ITM Group Inc.;
global advisory board member of The Workforce Institute at UKG

11 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


The
Business
Impact of
Employee
Feedback
Listening to employees isn’t
just good for culture — it’s
good for business

92% of highly engaged employees


feel heard at their workplace compared
to 30% of highly disengaged employees.

When more employees feel heard, key business outcomes


— like optimized financial performance and increased
engagement levels — are more likely to improve. This means
that investing in the voice of the employee and creating
a comprehensive feedback loop of communication and
change is as much an investment in HR and culture as it is
an investment in corporate strategy and growth.

12 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


Employee voice,
engagement,
and belonging
are closely
intertwined.
Highly engaged
employees are

3x
more likely to say they
feel heard than highly
disengaged employees.
Employees with a very
high level of belonging are

4x
more likely to say they
feel heard than those
with a very low level of
belonging. When employees feel their voice is heard…
74%

Feel more engaged at work


It’s remarkable when you 74%
are truly listened to and
are valued. You can see Feel more effective at their job
the difference that you’ve 71%
made. No one is ever as
truly committed to an Feel more confident to share ideas and feedback in the future
organization as when they 71%
feel they’ve made a positive
difference or solved a Feel more confident to share ideas and feedback in the future
problem for the organization.
Investing in the voices of employees can have a
— Kate Bischoff, employment
attorney and HR consultant;
meaningful impact on a business’s bottom line.
global advisory board
88% of employees whose companies financially outperform
member of The Workforce
Institute at UKG others in their industry feel heard compared to just 62% of
employees at financially underperforming companies.

13 The Heard and the Heard-Nots


The Workforce Institute at UKG For additional information:
The Workforce Institute at UKG provides research
and education on critical workplace issues www.workforceinstitute.org
facing organizations worldwide. By bringing
together a global consortium of HR and workforce
management thought leaders, the think tank is Join the conversation:
uniquely positioned to empower organizations
with practical ideas for optimizing today’s @WF_Institute
workplace while also providing an important voice
for employees, including frontline and hourly
workers. Founded in 2007, a hallmark of The For more on the research, please contact:
Workforce Institute’s research and education —
including books, podcasts, surveys, blogs, and its Jessica DeVore
annual list of workplace predictions — is balancing jessica.devore@ukg.com
the needs and desires of diverse employee
populations with the interests of organizations Dan Gouthro
to manage absenteeism, fight burnout, develop daniel.gouthro@ukg.com
equitable work schedules, and build strong leaders
to drive inspired performance. Dr. Chris Mullen, Ph.D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP
christopher.mullen@ukg.com

Survey Methodology
Research findings are based on a survey conducted by panelists have passed a double opt-in process and complete
Savanta, Inc. across the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Mexico, India, on average 300 profiling data points prior to taking part in
Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, the Netherlands, surveys. Respondents are invited to take part via email and
and Switzerland between May 7–11, 2021. For this survey, are provided with a small monetary incentive for doing so.
4,049 full-time and part-time employees were asked general Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The
questions around how employees communicate their views magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by
to their managers and/or employer in an effort to influence the number of interviews and the level of the percentages
matters, both large and small, that affect them at work. The expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are
study targeted full-time and part-time working employees 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by
who are 16+ years of age. Respondents were recruited through more than 1.5 percentage points from the result that would be
a number of different mechanisms, via different sources, to obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in
join the panels and participate in market research surveys. All the universe represented by the sample.

© 2021
14 The Heard and the UKG Inc. All rights reserved. For a full list of UKG trademarks, please visit ukg.com/trademarks.
Heard-Nots
All other trademarks, if any, are property of their respective owners. All specifications are subject to change.

You might also like