PROVO, Utah — Employers should expect an ongoing employee exodus in 2022, according to a new report issued by Qualtrics, an experience management firm based in Provo.
According to their third annual Employee Experience Trends Report, female middle managers are three times more likely to quit in 2022 than 2021, and only 62 percent of individual contributors plan to stay in their current jobs over the next few years.
They also found that hybrid work will continue—working remotely and in the office—but employees are underwhelmed by these experiences.
Mental health days aren't working aren't addressing the long-term well-being of employees, but 50 percent of employees said their physical and mental well-being improved while working remotely.
Conversely, over a third—35 percent—said they're more likely to search for a new job if they had to go back to the office full-time.
“There’s clearly a disconnect between the experiences employees expect and what employers are offering in hybrid work environments. The value of offices has evolved from simply being places for people to work from to creating opportunities for collaboration and socialization," said Benjamin Granger, Ph.D., Qualtrics head of employee experience advisory services.
There's also a perception gap between leaders and employees on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) efforts, as 80 percent of leaders say they're genuinely committed to such efforts, while only 58 percent of individual contributors believe this to be true.
Workload continues to be an issue for employees, as nearly a third—29 percent—won't take a sick day even if they aren't feeling well because of work responsibilities.
“Leaders are expected to do more than ever before. Beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, managers also need to support their employees’ mental health, be culture champions and make progress on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts . . . Now is the time for organizations to invest in nurturing their leaders and equipping them to care for themselves, so that they can care for others,” said Granger.
The study examined nearly 14,000 full-time employees across 27 countries to understand how employee experience has evolved nearly two years into the pandemic and what employers should prioritize in 2022 to create better experiences for their people.
