The Covid19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation across nearly every industry — and many (if not most) businesses are still trying to navigate complicated collaboration and hybrid environments. 

It’s clear that we’re at a pivotal moment regarding what “work” looks like at its most fundamental level, and we wanted to hear directly from the people trying to navigate it. Working with Ascend2, a B2B market research firm, we surveyed 255 HR professionals in leadership roles at U.S. companies with 500+ employees — including companies across a variety of industries, those with remote workforces, and those with in-person workforces. 

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Our findings are eye-opening. As the U.S. experiences historic labor issues, the research shows a fundamental disconnect between what HR leaders say they’re prioritizing and the realities of today’s workforce. Even as the Great Resignation persists, many companies aren’t prioritizing retention — 76% of HR leaders reported higher employee turnover in the past year, yet the majority (61%) do not consider “improving retention” among even their top three objectives to improve the employee experience.

Meetings are too long, too frequent, and have too many attendees. Onboarding processes are insufficient and lead to higher turnover. Digital collaboration tools are expanding, and it’s consuming an incredible amount of time. HR leaders know these things, but HR has minimal infrastructure in place to understand employees and act on insights. 93% of HR executives believe that providing data-backed insights on employee communication and collaboration would help managers improve productivity, but our research shows clear gaps. 

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The results suggest something of an identity crisis over the role of HR in business and illustrate the many challenges HR leaders are facing amidst shifting employee expectations, changing workplace cultures and evolving workforce technologies. 

How we meet, collaborate, and stay engaged, have all changed very fundamentally, and with these monumental changes come critical challenges for businesses. There's an enormous gap between the data HR leaders have, and the data they need, to be able to make decisions that resonate with teams and employees — their business depends on it. 

This report is packed with interesting insights that are sure to resonate as you think about your business. Enjoy!

Read the full report here