The employee experience matters more than ever in today’s workforce. Today’s employees are deeply committed to their roles in the companies they work for, but they’re also overwhelmed, burned out, and increasingly ready to move on to other experiences. For Human Resource Managers, CFOs, and CEOs, these findings pinpoint both a challenge and an opportunity: how do we close the growing gap between employer intentions and employee expectations?
Today, we’re taking a closer look at some of the most important takeaways from isolved’s 2024–2025 Voice of the Workforce report and what they mean for your organization. With 90% of employees stating that their workplace experience directly impacts how they serve customers, it’s more important than ever for employers to get it right. From rising burnout to demands for flexibility and better benefits, these insights offer a guide for building a loyal, engaged, and more resilient workforce.
The Engagement Paradox: High Commitment, Rising Burnout
Key Insight: While 92% of employees say they are fully committed to their jobs, 79% also admit to feeling burned out within the past year.
It’s a surprising contradiction that many HR leaders are just now fully recognizing in today’s workplace. Employees are showing up, staying engaged, and fully committed to their company roles. But those same efforts are costing them. Many workers feel emotionally and physically drained, most navigating their situations with little to no support or recognition. The fatigue slowly eats into their productivity and engagement. It also damages their morale and long-term loyalty. More than half of employees say they would accept a pay cut for a role that better supports their well-being.
Implications: Organizations must take burnout seriously. Offering mental health resources, encouraging realistic workloads, and creating open environments that encourage communication can make a huge difference. Employers who elect to ignore burnout risk losing their most dedicated team members and top talent.
The Restless Workforce: Job Mobility on the Rise
Key Insight: As many as three out of four employees are considering job changes in the next year. That’s a significant increase from past findings that highlights a growing sense of restlessness in the workforce.
Today’s employees aren’t hesitant when it comes to exploring new opportunities, especially the ones offering a better work-life balance, competitive benefits, and welcoming, inclusive cultures. Armed with more information and job opportunities than ever before, today’s workforce is fully willing to make career moves that better match their personal and professional goals.
Implications: Keeping your top talent means you need to offer more than just compensation. You need a work environment that matches evolving employee values. The retention strategies you use need to make transparency, development opportunities, and a strong sense of purpose top priorities.
The Benefits Gap: A Critical Factor in Employee Satisfaction
Key Insight: Nearly one in four employees say they’d leave their current job if it meant better benefits. Many also admitted that they lack access to crucial offerings like health insurance, paid time off, or wellness programs. And their basic needs are fast becoming deciding factors in whether employees stay or go.
Benefits aren’t just perks you throw into a benefits package for prospective employees. They play a central role in how employees view the overall quality and value of their job experience. Workers who feel undervalued or don’t have basic needs like healthcare, time off, or wellness resources being met, they disengage and eventually look for other job opportunities. A strong benefits package helps attract new hires, yes, but it also plays an important role in hanging onto the talent organizations already have.
Implications: Small to medium-sized businesses, especially, need to guarantee their benefits packages are highly competitive. Health, wellness, retirement, and lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs) all play a major role in keeping top talent and better recruitment outcomes.
The Flexibility Factor: A Non-Negotiable Expectation
Key Insight: Roughly 50% of employees say they prefer a hybrid or fully remote work environment. Flexibility is one of the leading factors influencing their decisions when considering new job options.
Job flexibility is the new standard and it’s rapidly reshaping the modern workplace. Employees want jobs that allow them to balance their professional and personal lives without compromise. Their career decisions are based on whether or not employers offer this balance. Flexibility is now a core value, not a perk. Organizations that ignore this important shift risk losing talent to their competitors.
Implications: Employers must evaluate how flexible work options can fit into their business models. Even roles that traditionally require on-site presence may benefit from staggered shifts or compressed workweeks. Organizations that fail to adapt could face higher turnover and reduced engagement.
Payroll Accuracy: A Cornerstone of Employee Trust
Key Insight: Around 60% of employees say they’ve encountered errors in their paychecks at some point during their careers. For many, that kind of mistake is a deal breaker. Even a single issue with payroll can erode trust and frustrate employees into making exit plans.
Mistakes in payroll do a lot more than disrupt paychecks. They chip away at employee trust. A single error can create significant friction between team members and leadership, especially when the issue isn’t resolved quickly or explained. Over time, repeated issues, even small ones, can result in frustration, disengagement, and an increase in turnover.
Implications: An accurate and reliable payroll system is required. Platforms like isolved's HCM technology, offered by Platinum Group, allow for streamlined payroll management, which are fully compliant and greatly reduce errors.
The AI Dilemma: Balancing Innovation with Job Security Concerns
Key Insight: Roughly 7 in 10 employees say they use AI in some capacity to assist with daily tasks. More than a third of them are worried that the same technology they rely on could one day threaten their jobs.
AI is a powerful tool for boosting performance and streamlining routine tasks. But it also comes with growing uncertainty. As automation becomes more common, employees are asking important questions about their long-term roles, opportunities for growth, and whether or not their skills will remain relevant with the rapid advance of technology. The swift pace of technological change is creating a tension between innovation and job security that employers must be willing to have a conversation about.
Implications: Employers should make use of AI while also offering transparency and training. Help employees understand how AI supports their work, not replacing it. Helping employees grow their skills through upskilling programs can go a long way in easing job security concerns.
Bridging the Divide with isolved
The disconnect between employee expectations and employer strategies is growing. But the solution isn’t out of your reach. With isolved’s human capital management solutions, offered by Platinum Group, organizations can:
- Use meaningful insights and feedback tools to track and enhance the employee experience
- Offer competitive, customizable benefit packages that meet the diverse needs and expectations of today’s workers
- Guarantee the accuracy of your company’s payroll using reliable systems that prevent costly mistakes
- Embrace remote and hybrid work models to match your employees’ preferences to boost satisfaction and morale
- Use AI tools thoughtfully and don’t forget to address concerns around job stability and workforce development
isolved gives leaders the tools they need to understand what their workforce values and the power to act on it. Explore isolved’s solutions and take a self-guided tour today. Now is the time to bridge the divide between employees and employers, armed with tools that prioritize well-being, trust, and innovation.
About Platinum Group
Platinum Group is a human capital management resource with solutions to help you streamline operations, so you’ll have time to manage your business. For more information about Platinum Group, or to schedule a demo of isolved, please visit our website.