It’s fair to say that 2023 can be characterized as the year of artificial intelligence (AI). And while the prospect of AI is definitely exciting, real people are still the engine that powers every successful company. To uncover some of the trends that will dominate 2024, we surveyed 1,100 full-time employees to get their perspective on the current and future state of employee experience (EX).

The good news for employers? Eighty-four percent say they are satisfied with their jobs. However, there are troubling signs beneath the surface that HR teams should address proactively to ensure a successful year.

Room for Improvement

Some employers would be tempted to see the 84 percent satisfaction statistic and think their work is done when it comes to EX. Our research indicates otherwise.

Here are several eye-popping stats from our survey:

• 65% have suffered from burnout in the last year
• 59% work when they’re sick
• 43% would take a pay cut for a better work-life balance
• 25% say they work in a toxic environment

Additionally, according to another recent isolved survey, 58 percent of employees plan on exploring their options in the next year.

What Employees Want 

Pesky inflation and the rising cost of living have made it increasingly difficult for employees to get by. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that 64% of dissatisfied employees want a higher salary. They also don’t feel recognized (42%), don’t feel that there is growth in their role (40%) and don’t like their company’s culture (39%).

Luckily, employees feel like employers are making a concerted effort to improve EX: 75% say their employer is more focused on their needs than the previous year. Employers have focused on their employees’ needs by prioritizing work-life balance, seeking employee feedback and offering flexible work arrangements.

Coming Through on Culture

A company’s culture and EX are inextricably linked. While culture is the foundation, EX is the journey within the culture. When asked how HR departments can improve culture, improving internal communications, paying employees market value and providing a flexible work environment were employees' top responses. Employees also identified the top threats to a company’s culture, which include overworked employees, stressed employees and poor leadership.

HR departments can improve EX and culture by focusing on core HR functions. At the end of the day, payroll errors can be immensely damaging to morale. Where do employees think HR activities need the most improvements? Payroll, employee engagement and talent management.

Providing a Path Forward

Employees want help in advancing their careers—more than half want their employers to provide more opportunities to hone their skills. Unfortunately, this is an area where employers are coming up short. Fifty two percent rate their employer’s commitment to advancing their careers as either “poor” or “average.”

More than half of employees have access to a learning management system (LMS), but only 58% report using it regularly. The reason that employees aren’t utilizing this valuable tool is that it doesn’t align with their skillset (27%), they don’t have the time (24%) and their LMS is too complicated to navigate (20%).

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

It’s clear that employees are coming to expect more from their employers. They want to be paid accurately and fairly, a strong and positive company culture and ways to move their careers forward. Leveraging the right human capital management systems can help HR teams and business leaders become more strategic in 2024.

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