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.

1. 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.”

2. Amid this chaos, some of the most impacted workers – young employees – are surprisingly optimistic about the success of their company and the trajectory of their own careers. Workers under 25 are highly engaged and interested in driving change, the report found. However, even when this younger cohort thinks their employer exceeds their expectations, many say they don’t plan to stay at their company for the long term. Factors that are most likely to entice younger employees to stick around are the opportunity to meet career goals, having benefits that meet their needs and a belief in company values.
3. Meanwhile, more than half of recently hired employees are already looking for an exit, citing a poor job-candidate experience. And when they do decide to leave, the exit process is likely to be unfavorable as well, the report found.

“Potential and past employees are often overlooked when it comes to a company’s reputation, and organizations take on unnecessary risk by neglecting to address these bookend experiences,” said Granger. “Candidates and former employees can still influence others’ opinions about the company, good or bad. Organizations that invest in these first and final impressions gain a significant advantage in attracting talented candidates in the future, some of whom return to the company with enhanced skills and experiences.”

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4. Only about half of employees believe their employer prioritizes their wellbeing over short-term gains, the report found. Most leaders are comfortable tracking operational metrics but less familiar with building employee trust, which is highly correlated with engagement. Employees who trust their leaders are more open to changes, receptive to communication and overall act in ways that ultimately benefit the organization, the report said.
5. Finally, Qualtrics noted that employers are lagging on the artificial intelligence front. Nearly half of employees say their organizations don’t provide AI enablement and training, and a similar share say their company has no clear AI guidelines, ethics or principles. If they do, employees are unaware they exist.

Nearly one-third of employees who use AI at work are using tools they found themselves rather than tools provided by the company, which could pose a security threat.

“Many workers are already looking for opportunities to use AI to augment their work and it is far better for organizational leaders to lean in and provide approved tools and clear guidance to gain the benefits of these technologies without putting the company or customers at risk,” said Granger.