WorkForce Software’s Third Annual Global Employee Experience Study Reveals Deskless Workers Are Still Dissatisfied at Work and Employers Are Struggling to Meet Their Needs. New employee experience research shows that while managers have a better understanding of their frontline workers’ growing expectations, there is a lack of action from employers.
The 2023 findings show that the challenges underlying the experience gap remain – with more than two in five (43%) employees not feeling valued by their employer, and more than a third (35%) believing their employer does not recognize their contributions to the business.
Combined with the fact that many deskless or front-line employees are not given scheduling flexibility, can’t easily access training, and are not offered tools to enable simple digital communications, is perpetuating significant employee dissatisfaction. In fact, more than half (54%) of employees said they are open to leaving their place of work in the next six months, and one in five (20%) are unlikely to recommend their place of work to a friend or family member.
The majority (74%) of dissatisfied employees express a strong desire to work for an employer who offers scheduling flexibility, and more than half (54%) are willing to leave to find an employer who will.
More than half (52%) of employees still rely on outdated practices like paper timesheets and manual shift-swapping requests via email, text, or simply asking a manager or co-worker to swap, and 55% can’t swap shifts with other employees at all.
Almost three in five (58%) employees don’t receive their schedule more than a week in advance. Meanwhile, more than a third (36%) of employees still need to contact their managers via email, SMS, or messaging platforms to obtain schedule information in the first place.
“Keeping employees engaged to avoid losing valuable talent is of paramount importance right now,” said Mike Morini, CEO of WorkForce Software. “The cost of doing nothing, including the negative impact on productivity, talent acquisition, and retention, far outweighs the investment needed to adequately support, upskill, and empower deskless employees. The technology to provide greater flexibility for disparate workforces is readily available today, so taking action to remove the barriers to better employee experiences should begin immediately. There is really no reason why any employee can’t view their shift schedule and make changes, contact their manager, or complete relevant training digitally in 2023.”
