After surveying 20,000 employees and leaders across the world - including almost 2,000 from the UK - the O.C. Tanner Institute’s 2020 Global Culture Report found that a mere 42 per cent of UK employees rate their overall employee experience positively - with 92 per cent of employees describing their employee experience as their ‘everyday experience’.
When employees think of their employee experience they are thinking of their personal experiences which include appreciation received - or not received; how they are treated by their leaders; how easy or difficult it is to get resources, answers and information - and not the once-or-twice-a year HR initiative. The report showed that the majority of UK workers feel unappreciated.
Robert Ordever - Managing Director of workplace culture specialist, O.C Tanner Europe, stated:
“The majority of UK employees are feeling unappreciated and neglected. Clearly not enough is being done to create workplace cultures that put the health and happiness of employees first.
In fact, just over half of UK employees - 53 per cent - believe the employee experience is taken seriously at their organisations, leaving 47 per cent who feel their organisations regard it as an afterthought. It seems that customers are taking precedent over employees in nearly half of UK organisations, with 48 per cent admitting that their organisations are sacrificing the employee experience to please the customer.”
He added:
“Many companies are still viewing employees as a means of production and profit but this must change. With 92 per cent of employees describing their employee experience as their everyday experience, leaders need to prioritise by building a vibrant workplace culture with frequent and impactful employee ‘micro experiences’ rather than big gestures of appreciation a few times a year.”
When employees are not in a thriving culture only 43 per cent say they found satisfaction and - despite company efforts - only 66 per cent of employees feel the employee experience matters at their organisation. However, in a thriving culture, 87 per cent report finding satisfaction.
