HR market revealed: 4 prominent employee engagement trends

Context is key when it comes to positioning your HR brand. With this in mind, understanding top HR concerns and what the HR media are currently talking about is vital for those seeking to establish themselves within the HR niche. In our new series, we’ll be uncovering the key stories that HR brands need to take note of right now.

Employee engagement has been facing serious problems ever since the pandemic started. In fact, employee engagement experts, Inpulse, recently revealed that commitment to employers has fallen by nearly a third since pre-pandemic times. Simultaneously, their research also revealed that since 2019, employee happiness has fallen by 75% and anxiety has skyrocketed by 78%.

But as organisations attempt to navigate life beyond the pandemic, what issues and HR priorities are impacting employee engagement right now?

Here are 4 trends seen in the media, explaining current employee engagement levels.

Key employee engagement trends

1. Flexibility is core to engagement in 2021

HR has quickly uncovered this year that flexibility is a key demand from employees. After months of working from home, organisations that can’t match the flexible working that many employees have become accustomed to are being faced with streams of dissatisfied employees. 

In fact, 75% of employees who work in industries with the potential for flexible work want a hybrid working model. The potential for flexible working to boost engagement is huge too as 62% of workers state their motivation at work would increase if their employers prioritised the health and wellbeing of themselves and their families.

While the successes of this could be great, the damage that could incur without flexible work is detrimental. EY recently reported that nearly half of workers would think about leaving their current role if flexible working options weren’t provided.

2. Health and wellbeing is an increasing priority in engagement initiatives

Recent stories have shown the increased efforts organisations are making to boost engagement levels using health and wellbeing initiatives. 

After a wellbeing crisis during lockdown, more organisations are seeking to support employees in this area. In response, according to Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey, 37% of HR professionals said they plan on increasing their wellbeing spend post-pandemic.

The effects of increased wellbeing support on engagement levels are clear too as 38% of individuals who worked from home in recent months state their productivity improved due to the wellbeing support offered by employers.

3. Gen-Z are most heavily feeling a slump in engagement

Gen-Z and their working preferences are a hot topic in the HR media right now - particularly as recent research highlights how the shift to remote work has been detrimental to many in this age group. 

For this generation, many of whom are new to the workforce or spend days working in shared accommodation or bedrooms, remote work has been a more difficult experience. Despite this, just 37% say they have had regular check-ins from their managers and many state they feel forgotten.

The impact? Employees of this age are far more likely to seek a return to the office to support their productivity and satisfaction levels. Accordingly, 55% of 18-24 year olds want to make a return to traditional settings (double the average for all other ages) and a key reason cited for the return is their desire for increased social interaction.

4. HR face a serious risk of burnout

With an intense workload due to fallout from the pandemic, HR professionals are finding that it’s not just other employees who are experiencing engagement issues. Recent trends show that HR is facing a myriad of their own challenges too.

New research from LACE Partners highlighted that 70% of HRDs in the UK’s largest organisations are considering quitting their current roles as nearly a quarter are burnt out and only 36.2% feel resilient at work.

And this problem appears unlikely to subside anytime soon: 64% of HR professionals expect work pressures to increase as businesses continue to transition to flexible and home working. Eighteen percent also expect a ‘significant increase’ to their own pressures making it likely that without support, high rates of burnout and poor engagement levels will worsen among HR.

Looking for further expertise on key trends in the HR media? Download the HR Media Report 2021.