New research by Traliant finds that evolving employee attitudes about their personal lives, mental health and social issues are among the factors reshaping their expectations about work and influencing their opinions about the companies they want to work for.

A recent study commissioned by Traliant and conducted by Propeller Insights surveyed 2,000 full-time US employees working onsite, remotely or in hybrid settings. Traliant published the survey findings in its report, “How Employees Are Shaping the New World of Work,” which examines how the post-pandemic era attitudes of employees are increasingly holding employers accountable for flexible work options, work-life balance, psychological safety andenvironmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

In response to the survey findings, employers should consider rethinking and refreshing workplace priorities and culture to provide greater transparency, flexibility and trust — keys to recruiting, engaging and retaining top talent in the future.

“We’ve seen how the pandemic has changed how we think about work, and our survey makes clear that organizations need to change, too,” said John Arendes, Traliant CEO. “As leaders, we need to create a culture of trust, transparency and flexibility and ensure employees feel valued and included.”

Among the survey takeaways:

Flexible work arrangements are table stakes for employees

• 81.7% of employees said that hybrid/remote options have provided them with better work-life balance.
• 1 in 5 employees said they would look for a new job if their employer required them to return to onsite work.
• 48.9% said in the last year they have made family and personal life more of a priority, followed by mental health (47.1%), and taking work more seriously (38.4%).

Employees want psychological safety, whether working onsite, remote or hybrid

• 21.6% of employees don’t feel their workplace promotes psychological safety and 50.8% said that their work environment promotes burnout.
• Employees who trust their organization are more likely to stick it out in uncertain times
• 56.5% of employees said they are more likely to work overtime and 54.2% will advocate for a company they trust.
• When there’s a lack of trust, 43.8% of employees are less committed and 56.3% don’t feel connected to their company.

Employees want to be involved in company ESG initiatives

• 47.8% would like to be more directly involved in opportunities to make real change when it comes to their employers’ commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
• 54.1% said that they would leave their current company for another organization that is more aligned with their ESG values.

Fear of retaliation and workplace toxicity remain hurdles to preventing harassment and creating a speak-up culture

• 22.3% of employees have reported unethical behavior in the last year and 20.7% have been a target of retaliation for reporting misconduct.
• 59.1% of those who don’t feel comfortable reporting misconduct say it’s because they are worried about confidentiality (51.9%) or losing their job (35%).

Effective compliance training must reflect employees’ work environment

• 33.1% of employees say compliance training should mirror their job and work environment, including modern videos they can relate to and shorter, more targeted microlearnings throughout the year.

Read the full Traliant report, How Employees Are Shaping the New World of Work.

Traliant Insight

A nationwide survey finds employees seek flexible work options, greater work-life balance and trust from employers and are increasingly drawn towards organizations that promote good corporate citizenship and a speak up culture. To remain competitive in attracting and retaining top talent, organizations need to foster an inclusive, empathetic and ethical work culture in which employees feel connected in meaningful ways.

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