listen up, but don't be creepy 🥸

Hi folks! 👋 

Mariam Mushtaq here from HR Brain Pickings, back again with some more insights for my HR friends!

In This Edition:

We've been diving deep into AI lately, so let's switch gears and focus on something equally crucial—employee engagement. (Though, let’s be honest, AI still sneaks its way into this topic too! 😅)

I wanted to share some insights from the latest Qualtrics report on employee experience (EX) (love a good, quality report). 📄 

But before we do that lets see if you can guess some key findings from this 2024 report 👇️ 

Employee Experience (EX) trends for 2024

How many did you get right? 😅 Well don’t sweat it, let’s go ahead and look at the top 5 trends and see what actions HR leaders can take to make a difference. 🙌 

Trend 1 | AI: Your new best work buddy 🤖

Well, I guess we couldn’t ignore AI for long. 😅 

It turns out that engaged employees are way more comfortable with AI at work (53%) than those who are disengaged (30%). Writing (61%) is the task most engaged employees use AI for (yes, i use it too 😉) closely followed by using AI as a personal assistant (51%)

The key takeaway? AI should be our helpful sidekick, not the boss. Use AI to assist your employees, not replace them.

Trend 2 | Frontline heroes need more love 🫶 

Our frontline workers are feeling the pinch. 🤐 

They report lower satisfaction with pay (50% vs. 64% for non-frontline colleagues), career development (51% vs. 60%), and recognition (52% vs. 61%). Plus, they trust leadership a lot less (53% vs. 63%).

These numbers are more than just statistics; they reflect the real challenges our frontline heroes face every day. 🙎 If you manage a frontline workforce, take these numbers into consideration and double down on showing them the appreciation and support they deserve. 🙌 

Trend 3 | The new-job-honeymoon fizzles fast 💔 

Remember the excitement of starting a new job? Well, that honeymoon phase is getting shorter. 😬 

Employees in 2024 if they don’t catch the vibe 🫢 👇️ 

New employees (those with less than six months on the job) report the lowest levels of engagement (68% vs. 72%), intent to stay (38% vs. 65%), well-being (66% vs. 73%), and inclusion (66% vs. 73%).

To tackle this issue, the report suggests the importance of revisiting and enhancing our onboarding programs. Effective onboarding ensures that new employees are set up for success, feel included, and are quickly integrated into the company culture. 🧑‍💼 

Regular check-ins and support during the initial months can make a significant difference in their overall experience and long-term engagement. 🙌 

Trend 4 | Listen up, but don’t be creepy 🥸 

HR leaders collect employee feedback and data through various channels and surprisingly, employees are cool with us passively listening to their work communication channels like email (80%) and digital workspaces (72%).

BUT when it comes to gathering feedback and data from employees’ personal social media, employees would rather you keep your hands off it.

So, how do we gather feedback in a respectful and non-intrusive way? 🤔 

• Respect Boundaries: Focus on professional channels for gathering feedback and avoid personal social media.

• Act on Feedback: Show employees that their feedback leads to real changes. This builds trust and encourages more open communication.

• Anonymity Where Needed: Offer anonymous feedback options for more sensitive topics to ensure employees feel safe sharing their true opinions.

Setting boundaries is not restricted to just our personal lives – so let’s keep it professional and not cross personal boundaries. ❌ 

Trend 5 | Hybrid Work: The Sweet Spot 🏢

This is not new but this is yet another research that found that employees who work 5 days in the office have the lowest EX metrics across the board. (that canNOT be a shocker huh? 😅)

On the flip side, those working a hybrid schedule (1 - 3 days in the office) report the highest levels of inclusion (79%) and well-being (73%).

Hybrid work environments consistently prove to be the winning solution, striking the perfect balance between in-office and remote work. Consider adopting a hybrid approach for a happier, more productive team. 😊 

That’s a wrap for today!

Got any additional feedback for me? Let me know! 👇️ 

💡 Feature Highlight | EngageWith: 360° Feedback

The 360° Feedback feature enables employees to pinpoint their strengths and areas for improvement, helping them progress in their current role.

It’s an easy to use, comprehensive approach that directly helps employee in their professional growth! 🙌 

Did you know this? ⬇️ 

It’s predicted that HR departments will spend up to 70% less time on administrative work with the help of generative AI. Join this community to learn how to effectively leverage AI in your daily tasks.

Day 7: AI Insights Daily 🔍️ 

Today we cover → Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)

Some context: We recently covered LLM, which can be seen as “the over-enthusiastic new employee who refuses to stay informed with current events but will always answer every question with absolute confidence. Unfortunately, such an attitude can negatively impact user trust and is not something you want your chatbots to emulate!”

RAG is one approach to solving some of these challenges. Learn more about it 👇️ 

Today’s HR Reads for You 📚️ 

1. 🧑‍💼 No feedback? Managers receive little feedback on their performance: Gallup

2. 🤔 Wait they don’t want a promotion? Gen Z and millennial workers are descending the corporate ladder

3. 🤑 Beyond salary: 5 stories on supporting workers financially