Ryan FowlerA significant perception gap exists between UK employees and HR professionals regarding the quality of workplace experience, according to new research from Benefex. While 64% of HR and Reward professionals rate their organisation’s employee experience as ‘excellent,’ only 20% of employees globally, and a mere 13% in the UK, share this view.
The study highlights a worrying decline in employee satisfaction, with only 20% rating their experience as excellent today, compared to 38% last year. This drop is attributed to employers potentially misjudging the effectiveness of their current employee engagement strategies.
Michael Tigwell, chief operating officer at Benefex, expressed concern over the findings: “It’s concerning that employers feel that they are performing better than they actually are when it comes to providing great employee experience. It’s certainly not a result of a lack of focus or effort on the part of employers, but there is clearly a disconnect between the initiatives they’re undertaking to enhance employee benefits and reward experience and what their people actually need right now.”
The report also delves into the role of AI in HR, revealing mixed feelings among professionals. While 49% believe AI can reduce administrative burdens, enabling them to focus on strategic tasks, 19% fear AI might replace most jobs in reward and benefits, and 10% are concerned about their own jobs being automated.
As employee expectations rise, particularly during the ongoing cost of living crisis, there is an increased demand for better compensation and more relevant benefits. Employers are responding by prioritizing wellbeing, with 84% of HR professionals considering it crucial to a good employee experience.
The survey also notes that while employees value benefits highly, with 90% saying it’s important for their benefits to support various aspects of their wellbeing, they are less impressed with the technology provided for workplace recognition. Only 42% rate it as good or excellent, reflecting broader dissatisfaction with workplace technology lagging behind personal technology.
Tigwell concluded, emphasising the need for continuous adaptation: “Arguably the biggest learning from this research is that employers can’t stand still when it comes to employee experience. They need to continually listen to employees to understand their changing needs and build agility into their reward and benefits strategies, so they can respond in a fast and effective way. This means embracing new ideas and implementing new technologies, such as AI, which can ease pressure in the HR department.”
