Learning From Disengaged Worker Sentiment Can Point to Better Employee Experience Strategies

This blog series has reviewed shifts in what defines a high-quality employee experience from the perspectives of both managers and employees based on findings from the Third Annual Global Employee Study.  

In this blog, we’ll recap an article originally published on LinkedIn by our Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Sandra Moran, which discusses how businesses can learn valuable lessons from dissatisfied employees. Their needs reveal practical ways to boost engagement and avoid costly turnover. 

Often, even if managers recognize employees’ needs, they lack effective tools to meet them. Organizations can be unsure of which investments will have the most impact on their workers, and these are the cases where the most vocal critics can provide clear insights for improvement. Feedback from dissatisfied employees will reveal what employee experience features matter most.  

By examining our Global Employee Experience Study through the lens of a dissatisfied employee’s experience, we learned that they have three common characteristics: 

1. They’re open to leaving their place of work in the next six months for an employer who provides scheduling flexibility.  
2. They don’t feel valued by their employer due to a lack of investment in their development. 
3. They struggle to maintain work/life balance due to poor communication technology. 

These results point to practical strategies organizations can adopt to improve employee experience.  

Enable Employee Autonomy With Schedule Flexibility

• Scheduling flexibility remains one of the most important employee experience aspects 
• 79% of dissatisfied employees want to work for an employer that offers scheduling flexibility 
• 73% are willing to leave their current job for better scheduling flexibility 
• Outdated manual processes can’t meet compliance and pay transparency requirements 
• Modern workforce management technology enables accurate forecasting, self-service, and pay visibility 

Invest In Frontline Worker Development That Meets Them Where They Are

• Deskless workers are often excluded from corporate career pathing efforts  
• Employees don’t get regular communication through corporate emails and intranet pages 
• Traditional Learning and Development methods don’t include retrieval via mobile devices 
• 53% of dissatisfied employees prefer mobile device access for job information and training 

Integrated Communications Keep Employees Engaged

• Give workers feedback opportunities—dissatisfaction can’t be addressed if it’s unknown  
• 52% of unhappy workers struggle with work/life balance due to communication technology 
• 40% of employees feel unrecognized 
• Consistent communication is key for engagement, consider integrated platforms that combine flexibility, communication, and recognition

Learn From Employee Dissatisfaction

Replacing a single employee can cost up to 40% of their salary, not to mention lost productivity, disrupted operations, and damage to your reputation. These costs escalate with senior departures. But the biggest cost might be missed opportunity.  Heather McGowan, Future of Work Strategist, argues that our knowledge-based economy prioritizes shareholder value at the expense of human potential. We’re entering the “Human Value Era,” where investing in your workforce is the key to success. 

Engaged employees bring expertise, optimize processes, and deliver their best work. Studies show a clear link between employee experience and customer satisfaction. A 2022 IDC report found that engaged employees can boost revenue by 89%, profitability by 98%, and significantly reduce customer churn. 

Imagine the impact on employee engagement if resources shifted from recruitment automation to understanding—and addressing—employees’ needs. There’s plenty to learn from their feedback. 

To learn more about how to combat disengagement within your organization, read the Third Global Annual Employee Experience Study.