Marvin OnumonuEmployee morale has dropped sharply in workplaces across the UK, according to research from Adaptavist.
The study found 40% of workers had less motivation, 41% felt unappreciated by managers, and 38% reported emotional withdrawal over the last year.
A total of 52% said they had seen changes in their performance or focus in the last 12 months.
Key problems included 35% feeling hopeless about career progression, 38% worried about job security, 38% having less communication with colleagues, and 31% losing confidence.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) admitted they did not always understand the reason behind their workplace tasks.
Jargon was another issue, with 73% saying buzzwords like ‘KPIs’, ‘efficiency’, and ‘action items’ made them disengage.
37% said jargon frustrated them several times a week.
30% regularly felt overwhelmed by digital noise, and 72% said they experienced technostress some of the time.
Those affected were more likely to say technology had a negative effect on their mental health, anxiety and stress.
Workers who said they always understood the reason behind their tasks were less likely to lose confidence (22% compared to 35%), feel emotionally withdrawn (30% compared to 41%), feel hopeless about career progression (30% compared to 36%), fear for job security (32% compared to 41%), or lose motivation (29% compared to 43%) compared to those who did not understand the reason.
Those with clarity were also less likely to suffer from technology-related stress or anxiety at work.
74% said they felt energised and motivated, compared to 38% who did not understand the purpose of their tasks.
46% said jargon never made them disengage, compared to 20% who lacked clarity.
66% said technology had helped their career, compared to 37% who did not understand their work’s purpose.
Neal Riley, innovation lead at the Adaptavist Group, said: “Leaders can no longer afford to ignore the cracks in workplace engagement, and evidently, employees need clarity and purpose, not buzzwords.
“With over a quarter of workers overwhelmed by digital noise, it’s clear that teams need tools that support effective collaboration, purposeful communication, and which don’t exacerbate stress and workloads.
“Our findings underscore the critical importance of articulating the ‘why,’ pinning strategy to execution, and aligning teams around shared outcomes to both protect morale and boost performance.”
