Qualtrics report shows divide in Australia and New Zealand employee experience

Employee experience management company Qualtrics released its 2023 Employee Experience Trends Report. In a statement on the ANZ results, Qualtrics highlighted a disconnect in employee experience between leaders and their workers.

The overall survey includes 27 countries and just under 30,000 people and 2,400 people from Australia and New Zealand.

ANZ expectations of employee experience were divided, with 55 per cent of senior leaders feeling expectations are met, whereas just 33 per cent of more junior employees and middle managers feel the same.

The divide continued (leaders versus employees) on:

• wellbeing: 80 per cent versus 67 per cent
• engagement: 79 per cent versus 66 per cent
• inclusion: 78 per cent versus 71 per cent
• intent to stay: 63 per cent versus 54 per cent
• satisfaction of pay: 79 per cent versus 61 per cent

Qualtrics employee experience solution strategist – Australia and New Zealand – Dr Crissa Sumner commented on the findings: “Against the backdrop of increasing rates of burnout, financial stresses caused by the rising cost of living, and evolving employee needs, the Qualtrics findings must serve as a wake-up call for business and HR leaders across the countries.”

Dr Sumner continued: “There is a clear gap in the experience organisations think they’re delivering to their teams and what’s actually being provided, and failure to address it can have serious implications – from struggling to retain top talent, cultivating employee well-being, and maintaining productivity and performance.”

The ANZ data suggests middle managers and junior employees are not being treated with the same respect as leaders are. Seventy-six per cent of leaders believe their future aspirations can be met by their company, while just 62 per cent of middle managers and junior employees feel the same, down from 68 per cent last year.

According to Qualtrics, ANZ staff whose expectations are exceeded are 2.4 times more likely to stick with their company, and 4.3 times more likely to go beyond what’s anticipated of them at work.

The lead author of Qualtrics’ 2023 Employee Experience Trends Report, Georgie McIntyre, said: “What we’ve seen through our research is that in Australia and across the globe, employee expectations continue to evolve at a rapid rate.”

She added: “As employers work to address the employee experience gaps that remain and emerge in their organisations, it is critical they are focused on understanding what obstacles and friction points their teams are running into so that they can be removed for the entire workforce. And as the Qualtrics findings show, for organisations that do this well, the rewards will be significant.”

Qualtrics offered recommendations for employers to improve their employee experience in 2023. The top three focused on:

1. onboarding;
2. learning; and
3. productivity and wellbeing.