Employee engagement requires an understanding of relevant employee wants and needs and where these are headed. Currently, topics relevant to humanity, like well-being, living with purpose, deep personal fulfillment, and being ethical and sustainable, are trending. Companies are branding themselves as more “human,” in great part because it is what customers and employees want to see. What does this imply for people management? Leaders are faced with higher expectations to fulfill and take care of their people. As a key factor to drive employee engagement, here is intel on employee expectations today.

Let’s start with well-being. Even before the pandemic, the workforce seemed to be generally unwell, and longed to feel better. As a result, the well-being market exploded. In 2017, workplace wellness was a $48 billion market, projected to grow to$66 billion in 2022. Since then, growth has likely accelerated in light of the pandemic and its dire effects on physical and mental health.

The fact is, people are stressed, and value flexibility and support from their employer more than ever. Therefore, including well-being initiatives as a part of employee engagement programs is bound to be rewarded. Indeed, Gallup has found well-being enhances the impact of employee engagement on positive business outcomes. For example, highly engaged workers who have high well-being are 30%more likely to not miss work because of poor health, and 18% less likely to quit their job within a 12 month period.

Beyond overall wellness, filling the need for fulfillment and purpose has become a priority for many. People are craving and asking employers for a better experience, one that fulfills them at work. Actimo recently conducted a survey of over 4,500 frontline employees to uncover what the modern workforce values in their experience on the job.

Results suggest employees want 3 things: information, connection, and development, throughout their journey with a company. Moreover, non-desk employees express an appreciation for greater transparency, and easy access to relevant company resources and updates. Also, employees place high value on being able to build connections and community through interactions across their organization. These nurture a sense of belonging. Finally, corporate learning and development that truly supports their way of work is also top-of-the-list of EX expectations. Full survey results and actionable recommendations to engage dispersed or remote teams are discussed in Actimo’s Employee Experience Insights Report.