What Keeps Employees Engaged at Work

Posted: 03/20/25

It’s not easy keeping up with the escalating expectations of today’s workforce. The experiences employees have with technology in their personal lives drives the expectations they have for the technology they use at work. Think instant access, personalization and usability trends.

To help employers deliver the type of experiences the workforce wants, we surveyed more than 1,000 full-time employees for our Voice of the Workforce report. This is what they said.

60% want self-service tools for payroll and benefits tasks.

Tools that allow employees to independently download paystubs, change direct deposit information and view paid time off (PTO) balances not only improves employee experience (EX), but also gives human resources (HR) teams back time in their days to focus on strategic initiatives.

52% say payroll is the HR activity that needs the most improvement.

Accurate and on-time payroll is critical to providing good EX, especially because 60% of employees say they’ve experienced payroll errors at their current employer. What’s more, 74% would like their employer to provide on-demand pay for earned wages.

50% would start job searching after a poor benefits experience.

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of employees consider benefits enrollment stressful. The best way to improve that experience? Thirtysix percent say technology that enables them to make their own elections and provides a guided comparison of options would make a big difference.

37% say performance recognition would improve EX.

Thirty-one percent would also like their employer to address burnout by providing tools that enable employees to manage their own performance. This means performance management tech is important for more than just year-end reviews, as it can also lead to a more productive and engaged workforce.

33% want a learning management system with tailored courses.

The top ways employees say employers can improve efforts to support professional development include a learning management system (LMS) that recommends personalized course paths, funding for continuing education and career pathing to map ongoing professional development.

When business owners deliver technology that enables and engages the workforce, employees tend to be more productive. This is a win-win, leading to higher satisfaction, improved retention, better customer experiences and more.

Looking for more ways to keep employees engaged and deliver an exceptional EX? Find ways to deliver an EX that matters here!

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