After nearly five years of upheaval in the workplace thanks to the pandemic and hybrid work, employees are craving simplicity and productivity, according to Qualtrics, which interviewed 35,000 employees in 23 countries to find out what they want from the workplace experience in the new year.

Topping the list for 2025 is less chaos, the report found. Nearly 40% of employees report feeling pressure to be more productive, which the study attributes to the pace of change in the work environment as well as the overall economic environment and strategic changes to businesses. Employees who feel pressure are less likely to be engaged and more likely to suffer impacts to their wellbeing, the report found.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen that engagement and wellbeing are highest when employees feel proud of their organization’s impact on customers and supported in adapting to change,” said Dr. Benjamin Granger, chief workplace psychologist at Qualtrics. “In general, humans are excellent at adapting to change, as long as they have support. Increased pressure to be productive must be met with increased organizational support and communication if organizations are to uphold their end of the new psychological contract between employee and employer.”

Special Reports /

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