Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Employee engagement drivers have seen significant changes from 2019 in the Malaysian employee experience (EX) scene, new research from experience management (XM) company Qualtrics.
The research was conducted to observe the ongoing trends among Malaysian workspaces, and their goal to improve employee engagement through company strategies, dedications, campaigns, and great leadership. The shown results imply what employees look forward to in their respective workspaces and institutions.
The research noted that some of the key EX drivers among Malaysians are ‘feeling that my career goals can be met’ and ‘being proud of the company’s efforts to have a positive impact on the world’, as well as ‘confidence in senior leadership to make the right decisions, feeling a sense of purpose from work’, and ‘feeling a sense of belonging’.
Meanwhile, Qualtrics’ 2019 research on the same topic revealed the key drivers ‘were receiving recognition for good work’, ‘seeing a clear link between work and strategic objectives’, ‘opportunities for learning and development’, ‘manager support in career development’, and ‘confidence in senior leadership to make the right decisions’.
“2020 irreversibly changed the working world, and globally we saw engagement drivers shift considerably last year. As businesses and governments look forward to 2021 we expect to see these engagement drivers evolve once again as restrictions continue to change,” said Lauren Huntington, EX solutions strategy for SEA at Qualtrics.
Despite the challenges faced by businesses and government in 2020, overall levels of employee engagement in Malaysia increased to 67% in 2020, from 54% in 2019. This is in line with the global average, which rose 13% from the last year (66% in 2020 versus 53% in 2019). Meanwhile, the intent to stay within an organization for three years or more was at 71% in 2020.
In addition, well-being, which is an important contributor to overall EX, continues to be a priority for workers and is predicted to be a key trend for organizations in 2021. A sense of belonging is of particular importance in the context of well-being. Employees who feel like they belong are almost five times more likely to rate their well-being favorably than those who feel like they don’t belong (78% in 2020 versus 16% in 2019).
“To ensure teams are provided with the support and services they need in fast changing situations it is critical leaders are able to understand how emerging trends are reshaping the workplace, and what they can do to design and improve employee experience,” Huntington stated.
The research also noted that 93% of employees believe it’s important their company listens, with 80% saying they have the opportunity to feedback. However, only 34% say their company acts on feedback well.
The research revealed that the business impact of listening and acting on feedback is huge. When organizations do take action, scores increase across employee engagement (90%), wellbeing (87%), and intent to stay (87%).
“While it’s pleasing to see employers listening to their teams, the study outlines the critical importance of acting on feedback. There is no one size fits all approach to improving the employee experience. By capturing responses from their teams across the entire employee lifecycle and in key moments that matter, businesses are able to design improved experiences,” Huntington concluded.
