More than half of managers are failing to notice employee dissatisfaction at work, a report has found.
Research by UKG revealed that workplace culture drivers such as staff morale and job satisfaction are poor, with three in five (60%) of UK frontline workers unhappy with their current employee experience.
The global HR, payroll and workforce management solutions provider’s Perspectives from the Frontline Workers report revealed that more than half (54%) are tempted to quit on difficult days, while two in three (66%) are not passionate about their job and simply view it as a way of making money.
By comparison, among the managers polled, 57% disagree that their direct reports are dissatisfied with their employee experience, while 63% disagree that staff view their jobs as just being money-making and 62% don’t believe staff are tempted to give up work on tough days.
According to UKG, its survey, which included more than 870 of the UK’s frontline employees and managers, highlighted a disconnect which appears to have played a part in creating a ‘two-tier’ workplace culture.
The findings indicated that more than half (54%) of employees surveyed believe there is one company culture for frontline staff and another for the rest of the workforce.
Additionally, one in two (51%) think their employer treats them like a number rather than a person. However, three in four (74%) managers disagree with them.
Similarly, while two in five frontline staff believe they are not treated respectfully in the workplace, seven in 10 (71%) of managers deny this is the case.
The study, which took place across sectors including manufacturing, logistics, retail and hospitality, discovered that one of the main causes of poor employee experience and workplace culture was flexibility. While nearly two in three rated it within their top three most important factors when changing jobs, three in 10 (31%) said their current lack of flexibility at work would be their top driver for leaving.
Recognition was also cited as a key reason for quitting by one in three (33%), with one in five (20%) claiming their manager never recognised their efforts. Additionally, around a third (32%) said the feedback they give to their employer has little to no influence.
Neil Pickering, senior manager of human insights at UKG, said: “The conversation surrounding workplace culture has picked up over the past five to 10 years, and today we hear a lot about flexible working, work-life balance and employee wellbeing. However, flexibility and wellbeing for frontline employees looks a lot different than it does to office-based, salaried workers, and this is where businesses seem to be falling flat.”
Two-fifths of frontline employees feel envious of their salaried counterparts, he explained, stating that the emergence of ‘two-tier’ companies suggests that businesses may not be fully aware of the true wants and needs of their frontline employees.
Pickering added: “They may also be falling short in providing these employees with the resources they need to feel satisfied and motivated at work. As a result, frontline employees might not feel valued or on equal footing with the rest of their organisation.”
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