Workplace survey insights
Recent surveys have explored how satisfied employees are with their careers. Many are content with their positions and are eager to introduce new technologies to their day-to-day tasks. Some studies focus on generational differences in the workplace and how norms have changed as Gen Z continues to enter the workforce.
As employees continue to face challenges, companies are exploring ways to avoid burn out. Improving workplace benefits and wellness programs and determining the best way to communicate them to employees can help reenergize staff.
The factors affecting workplace productivity
Workplace productivity has increased in the last year. Hiring managers say there have been improved management practices (33%) and staff training (31%) which have contributed to company output.
Hiring managers say there has been an increased adoption of new technologies. This has led 37% of workers to report improved efficiency due to emerging technologies like generative AI. New tech has helped employees reduce the amount of laborious tasks they have while freeing up time for other projects.
To encourage employees, flexibility has been prioritized. Fifty-four percent of workers pointed to hybrid work options, windowed work options (46%) and compressed weekly work schedules (20%) which have led 36% to log more hours this year compared to 2023.
This research was conducted with more than 2,500 U.S. workers in June 2024. Read more.
AI drives career growth
Seventy-one percent of employees say AI has positively impacted their job satisfaction. The majority of employees (79%) say AI skills will enable faster career progression and will open up more opportunities within their organizations. Forty-four percent are using the time AI has saved them to improve their professional development to further enhance their skills and career prospects. Over half of employees (61%) believe AI will lead to job creation, countering fears that the increase of AI use will lead to job loss.
Ninety-three percent of executives believe AI will become a permanent aspect of their organizations’ strategies and 89% expect their company’s use of AI will increase in 2025.
This research was conducted with 2,015 participants across the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Australia. Read more.
Company swag boosts workplace satisfaction and employee retention
Does receiving company swag lead to a higher level of job satisfaction? According to Custom Ink., 94% of employees who receive company swag at least once a month say they are very satisfied with their employers. Ninety-three percent of employees say they would be more likely to stay with their companies another year if they received a favorite item. Ninety-two percent say wearing company swag increased their feeling of connection and community.
One in four employees say their favorite swag item is apparel with t-shirts (13%) and hoodies (12%) being the top items. Other popular items include backpacks (7%), drink containers like travel coffee cups (7%), mugs or glasses (5%) and water bottles (5%) and tote bags (5%). Many employees say they would rather receive a piece of swag that they love and use to celebrate a team accomplishment over a happy hour or meal with their team.
This research was conducted among 1,064 U.S. adults from August 30-31, 2024. Read more.
Women, young generations are experiencing high levels of burnout
While the rate of burnout has decreased since the early days of COVID-19, it still remains high. Women (49%) are reporting higher rates of burnout than men (41%) and employee workload remains the top factor behind it. Younger employees are facing the highest levels of burnout with 54% of Gen Z and 52% of Millennials feeling overwhelmed.
Employees point to their work load (51%), staff shortages (42%) and maintaining a work/life balance (41%) as the top factors leading to burnout. To remedy this, workers say a four day work week (69%), more flexibility (66%), a decreased workload (63%) and the option to work from home (56%) would help alleviate their stress levels.
Those who point to staff shortages say the impact of covering the workload for unfilled positions (83) is their leading factor for burnout followed by the effect of helping others learn their job (46%), training new hires (41%) and recruiting and interviewing new hires (22%). Fifty-six percent of employees who reported burnout say they are comfortable telling their boss.
This research was conducted with 1,247 U.S. respondents from February 6-9, 2024. Learn more.
Hispanic employees face heightened stress, financial concerns
Hispanic employees have reported a high percentage of workplace stress with 46% saying levels are very high/high, compared to 37% in 2023. Feelings of very high levels of burnout among U.S. Hispanic employees are almost twice as likely compared to non-Hispanic workers.
Employees who have experienced anxiety when thinking about the impact of an unexpected serious medical condition is on the rise. Fifty-one percent of all employees cannot afford $1,000 of unexpected medical expenses. Hispanic (58%) and African American (59%) employees reported experiencing more financial instability if faced with an unexpected medical bill of $1,000 dollars.
This research was conducted with 1,003 employers and 2,000 employees across the U.S. The employee survey took place online from June 6-July 10, 2024, and the employer survey took place from June 6-21, 2024. Learn more.
Gen Z enters the workforce
For many Gen Z workers who started their professional careers remotely, the rise of return-to-office mandates have led them to figure out and create new workplace norms. As Gen Z steps into office life, eight in 10 have created social media content romanticizing their workplace, however, 50% think posting about office life should be done with a degree of professionalism.
Eighty-eight percent of young employees have personalized their office space and believe it is important that it reflects their style and aesthetic preferences. Twenty-four percent say setting up their desk and personalizing their workspace was the highlight of their first day in the office and 43% say they have modified their office aesthetic based on social media trends.
Ninety-six percent of Gen Z believes that social media has influenced how their peers navigate the workplace and 81% think sharing content about office life has helped modernize the office vibe.
The research was conducted with 500 Gen Z office professionals. Read more.
Employees are underutilizing and unaware of workplace wellness programs
Workplace wellness programs are wanted but underutilized. Thirty-three percent of respondents say their employers don't offer options like gym membership reimbursements, mental health resources or preventative health screenings. Of those who do have access to programs, only 28% take advantage of them with 23% saying they are unlikely to use them and 15% are unaware of whether or not their company offers them.
Twenty-five percent say they don't know where to find information about wellness benefits or that the information was not communicated to them. Although 48% of organizations rely on e-mail to communicate their wellness benefits, others have started to mention them during onboarding sessions (17%) and on collaboration tools like Slack (10%) to close the awareness gap.
This research was conducted with 1,000 U.S. adults in August 2024. Read more.