New report reveals Australian employees are challenging the 'change fatigue' narrative
Organisations across Australia have undergone significant changes in the past year, but employees there have yet to show signs of fatigue.
This is according to a new global report from Qualtrics, which surveyed over 33,000 workers in 24 countries, including more than 2,000 employees in Australia.
The report found that 76% of Australian employees experienced significant organisational change in the past year. These changes include:
- Leadership changes (37%)
- Manager changes (30%)
- Organisational restructures (35%)
- Use of new technology (39%)
In fact, the report found that Australian employees experienced leadership changes, manager changes, and organisational restructures more than their global counterparts.
Despite these changes, Australian workers are all showing "remarkable resilience compared to their global peers."
Engagement among Australian employees reached 68%, up by five points from the previous year.
On the other hand, global engagement went down by three points to drop to 65%, according to the report.
"What we're seeing in Australia challenges the narrative of change fatigue," said Steve Bennetts, head of growth and strategy, employee experience at Qualtrics.
"Australian workers - both part-time employees and new hires - are all showing remarkable resilience compared to their global peers, which is a direct result of organisations actively listening to employees and supporting them through transition."
The power of listening
Listening has emerged as the key factor driving this resilience, according to the report.
Organisations in Australia that increased listening frequency reported 90% engagement, as well as higher inclusion (89%) and wellbeing (89%).
On the other hand, firms that reduced their listening reported lower engagement (34%), inclusion (39%), and wellbeing (40%).
Intent to stay among employees who reduced listening also dropped to just 31%, according to the report.
"The data signals that Australian employees are less willing to tolerate being ignored during times of change," Bennetts said.
"These are precisely the moments when employees need to feel heard, and leading Australian organisations will be the ones that couple change with consistent, meaningful listening and support employees with the right tools and processes to navigate uncertainty."
The findings come amid strong desire from Australian employees to be heard at work, with 41% of employees saying they want their employers to listen more.
Another 65% of employees also said they enjoy giving feedback, just slightly lower than the global average of 68%.
"Australian employees clearly want to be heard and are happy to give feedback, but they're also hungry for more listening from leadership," Bennetts said.
"This suggests Australian organisations need to rethink how they gather employee input and perhaps consider moving away from traditional survey approaches and towards more integrated listening moments across more touchpoints."
