According to the research, more than half of the employees feel that they are not valued and are not excited about the job.

A new report by Cognexo found that more than half (64 percent) of employees feel disengaged or disinterested in their work.

State of the Employee Experience 2024 report Cognexo, which surveyed 2,000 office workers in England and Wales, found that almost half (45 per cent) felt undervalued by their employer, while 31 per cent admitted to being concerned about limited growth opportunities.

The research also found that more than half (52 per cent) reported not receiving adequate support from line managers, including inadequate resources and guidance.

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Pam Lindsay-Dunn, operations manager at Hays UK&I, stressed that employers needed to address these issues urgently. “What we are seeing is ‘massive dissatisfaction,’ and as workers feel more confident about changing jobs, we will likely see a second part of the major downturn,” he warned.

Key challenges identified

Some key challenges include: More than half (54 percent) of survey respondents expressed dissatisfaction with their onboarding experience, while the vast majority (82 percent) felt their professional development needs were not met; Dissatisfaction was expressed most among Generation Z (63 percent) and employees aged 55+ (57 percent).

Inconsistencies between job expectations and actual roles were highlighted by the 41 percent of Gen Z workers who reported the highest level of confusion regarding daily tasks (35 percent).

The report revealed mixed levels of workplace advocacy: 41 percent of employees would recommend the workplace, while 35 percent said they wouldn’t. Employees in industries such as retail, catering and healthcare were the least likely to recommend their employers.

Although 65 percent said they trusted senior leadership decisions, almost a quarter (24 percent) described their workplace environment as disorganized; and 13 percent described the workplace culture as toxic.

On an optimistic note, 67 per cent of employees felt their mental health was supported, but a third (33 per cent) did not feel their workplace was investing in their mental health. Older workers (aged 55+) and those in retail, catering and healthcare felt particularly unsupported in this area

improvement room

The report found that employees want more support from their managers, with more than half (52 percent) wanting better communication, feedback and personal support.

Almost a third (29 percent) prioritized regular, constructive feedback, while 23 percent sought additional resources to improve their performance.

More than half (54 percent) of employees wanted significant improvements in diversity and inclusion efforts; Unequal treatment based on gender, ethnicity and neurodiversity needed to be highlighted as areas for improvement.

Cognexo CEO Dan Buckley emphasized that the problems raised in the report must be addressed urgently.

“What is clear from this research is that organizations must develop environments where investments in employee development and inclusion are woven into the fabric of daily operations and where open communication is encouraged at all levels,” he said.

Lindsay-Dunn called on employers to prioritize transparent career mapping, provide ongoing learning opportunities and foster a culture of support and mentorship.

“By investing in the growth of their employees, companies not only increase morale but also increase productivity and retention,” he added.

The report recommended that employers should focus on addressing gaps to improve employee experience and engagement from the start by providing better support, recognition and growth opportunities.

Addressing gaps in management support, education and mental health attitudes can lead to significant improvements, said Rachel Morgan-Trimmer, a neurodiversity consultant and founder of FireBird.

“Education has a cost; Encouraging supportive attitudes and communication is free but challenging. “Educating managers on the benefits of better staff engagement can change these dynamics and improve workplace culture overall,” he added.

For more detailed information about employee loyalty and motivation, Read the CIPD’s fact sheet

Key challenges identified

improvement room

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