A new study examines pre- and post-pandemic workplace sentiments by industry.
By The Editors
Organisations reacted differently to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualtrics’ new study, WorkDifferent: How COVID-19 Gives Us the Opportunity to Reimagine the Employee Experience, takes an industry-specific look into the workplace before and during COVID-19 and the steps organizations can take to evolve the employee experience.
Respondents share how they feel their industry responded to the pandemic.
- 46% of employees say their organization has become faster at acting on employee feedback since the crisis began, whilst 18% disagree.
- Travel and hospitality employees were most likely to be furloughed -and among the least likely to feel valued by their employers.
- Healthcare workers are the most likely to say their employers responded well to the challenges of the pandemic.
- Workers in the automotive and travel and hospitality industries are the least likely to say their employers responded well to COVID-19.
- Financial services employees are four times more likely to say their employee experience got better since COVID-19 than to say it got worse.
- Retail has adjusted to new trends faster. Because of COVID-19, retail employees expect better website functionality, more home delivery, and increased focus on eCommerce.
- Work-life balance issues are front and center. Government workers are happy with their work schedules but hate their offices, whilst tech workers love their offices and hate their work schedules.
- 71% of technology workers credit their company for reacting well to COVID-19 related shifts in the industry.
Employees anticipate the following changes as the world recovers from the pandemic.
47% of travel and hospitality workers say companies will step up employee engagement efforts and 52% believe there will be changes to remote work policies.- 43% of automotive employees expect an increased focus on brand perception and experience because of COVID-19.
- 49% of healthcare workers expect more attention will be given to their feedback and 44% believe they’ll see more flexible work schedules.
- 74% of financial services workers expect more uses for new tech.
- 50% of retail employees believe more investment will go toward customer service employees.
- 56% of tech workers say they expect an increased priority for employee experience and 54% believe employee loyalty will grow.
