6 Employee Experience Gaps That Need Your Attention, ASAP6 Employee Experience Gaps That Need Your Attention, ASAP

Culture of Flexibility — In its hybrid work survey, Gartner found that while 75% of executive leaders believe they've created a culture of flexibility, only 57% of employees indicate that flexible work is part of organizational culture. The gap is particularly clear — and concerning, Cambon said — "when it comes to autonomy over the decision to work flexibly." Here again, most executives, at 72%, say they're free to work on a flexible work arrangement with their managers, but only half of employees feel they can do the same, she said.

Remote Capabilities — Two-thirds of employees say they have technology to work effectively outside of the office, with 59% of employees agreeing that their organizations have invested in making it possible to work in the same way onsite as virtually, Gartner found. This compares to 80% of executives who say they have the right technology for remote work and 76% who've seen necessary related investment. "The gap between executives and employees in their ability to work from home is likely to further disadvantage employees if it makes them less likely to take advantage of flexibility," Gartner stated.

Trust — Not surprisingly, executive leaders have a higher level of trust than employees: 69% compared to 41%, respectively, believe that senior leadership acts in their best interest. The same sort of perceptional gap materializes around how much an organization trusts employees not to abuse work flexibility, Gartner found. Absent such trust, employees might not be willing to share their true sentiments about the future of work, Cambon noted. According to the survey, she said, "only 56% of employees agree they feel welcome to express their true feelings at work, compared to 74% of executives."

Voices Matter — Less than half of employees, at 47%, think their perspectives factor into executive decisions; conversely, 75% of senior leaders feel their perspectives play a role.

Communications/listening — This is the crux of the where-we-work turmoil of today's workplace planning. Here Gartner found "a clear disconnect between how executives and employees perceive the content and effectiveness of their organization's communication." As an example, the firm pointed to its data showing 71% of executives agreeing that their organizational leadership has expressly conveyed a preference for a return to their pre-pandemic work model. Only 50% of employees have that same impression, Gartner said.

Purpose — The pandemic has wreaked havoc, and organizations are trying to counterbalance that punch by creating a shared purpose for everybody. However, the perception of success depends on where somebody sits within the corporate hierarchy: Gartner research shows that 77% of executives feel like they are a part of something important, but only 59% of employees feel likewise.