20 Jul 2021

Survey: 2021 Employee Experience Survey

Improving the employee experience (EX) is a top priority for employers. But few have an integrated EX and business strategy to address the challenges of the new reality and the way work gets done post-pandemic.

Willis Towers Watson’s survey findings confirm that the pandemic created an EX stress test as employers deployed a range of actions, including restructuring, cutting pay and benefits, and adopting a flexible work model in response to the crisis. These actions took a significant toll on people and business with declines in productivity, engagement and wellbeing, among other areas, at many organisations.

As a result, there is now a “great EX awakening” — one that has 92% of organisations prioritising EX enhancements over the next three years. This figure is up from 52% prior to the pandemic.

Key findings

43% reported that the pandemic has had a negative impact on the EX.
Compared with organisations without a defined EX strategy, Transformative EX organisations are more likely to experience a net positive impact.
Transformative EX organisations are 90% more likely to report lower annual turnover than their industry peers.
63% of organisations recognise the need to prioritise employee wellbeing to enhance the EX.