Our new report explores the tension points shaping today’s employee experience: declining soft skills, lacklustre training, a lack of connection to leadership and mismatched progression expectations.
In this article we’ve shared an overview of the five big stories from the research.
The full report offers not only deeper insight but practical advice to enable you to build cultures and mindsets fit for the modern world of work.
1. The hidden erosion of soft skills post-pandemic
The pandemic didn’t just change where we work — it changed how we connect, collaborate, and communicate.
Today, many companies are experiencing a hidden erosion of critical soft skills that underpin culture and performance.
2. Turned off by training… and turning on TVs
Training is losing its impact and people aren’t showing up – but it’s not because employees don’t want to learn. It’s because most training isn’t embedded into the company’s culture nor the employee’s day-to-day realities.
When learning is seen as separate from the “real work,” it quickly drops down the priority list. Great leaders help employees make it a priority.
3. Managers are drowning, not leading
Managers are pivotal to shaping culture and enabling performance – but many are simply too overwhelmed and overloaded to do either well.
We often say you have as many cultures as you do teams.
So your overwhelmed managers are still shaping a culture, it just might not be the one you want…
4. Great expectations and growing frustrations
Managers and junior employees aren’t on the same page when it comes to progression.
Newer generations want to move fast but many managers don’t believe they’re ready. With no shared view of what ‘ready’ looks like, both sides are left frustrated.
5. Connected to colleagues but not the company
People are yearning for connection, but in today’s fragmented workplace it’s harder than ever to nurture.
Employees feel connected to their immediate teams and managers, but not to senior leadership or the company itself.
But when the sense of belonging doesn’t extend beyond the immediate team, employees feel less rooted – making departure an easy decision when the right offer comes along.
Access the full report for deeper insights, more data, and practical advice related enabling you to build mindsets and cultures that can adapt to the business challenges of tomorrow.