A new global survey on the critical areas essential to building an engaged and resilient workforce.
By the team at monday.com
It’s no secret that the work landscape is changing — from the influx of new AI and digital tools to the sweeping organizational changes companies are currently facing, leaders need to recognize what these shifts mean in the context of their business.
To better understand the areas that are essential to building an engaged and resilient workforce, we’re excited to introduce monday.com’s World of Work report.
Commissioned by Qualtrics, this global survey covers everything from AI adoption and work software usage to change management, transparency, success measurement, and career growth. Plus, we’ve added insights from our team on how business leaders can bridge the gaps to better support, empower, and connect their teams.
The findings identified a critical issue: the need to bridge the gap between technological advancement and employee acceptance. To motivate the current workforce and maximize productivity, organizations need to adopt a human-centric approach to these tools – from better communication and transparency to a heightened emphasis on shared growth.
Dive into key findings below, and download the full World of Work report.
AI angst and acceptance
AI in the workplace is on the rise, but there’s an interesting generational divide in how employees feel about this new technology. Millennials are leading the charge, with 73% adopting AI, while Gen Z (often seen as the most tech-savvy generation) actually lags behind at 59%.
This hesitation likely comes from Gen Z’s focus on passion-driven work and their concerns about AI replacing human jobs. To win them over, leaders need to emphasize that AI is here to enhance human work—not replace it.
Purchase ≠ usage
As workplaces become increasingly digitalized, reliance on tools and software has skyrocketed. In fact, the vast majority (82%) of respondents use work and project management software to drive organizational efficiency. Beyond that, over half (57%) of employees report that the number of tools they use has increased compared to the previous year.
However, even though more software is being purchased, it isn’t necessarily being utilized. Employees at the largest enterprise companies report lower actual utilization rates (71%). So, while employees may have access to more tools, they might not be fully integrating them into their work. This disconnect could point to a lack of adequate training and support for employees.
The impact paradox
In today’s dynamic environment, understanding and measuring success is more than just a metric — it’s a compass, guiding organizations toward growth and innovation. Our research found that transparency and motivation are closely linked to how success is understood across teams. Employees who are dissatisfied with transparency in how performance is judged are also less likely to feel their work has an impact.
While 81% of employees globally are satisfied with transparency, things are different in large enterprises, where communication can get bogged down in complex hierarchies. In these organizations, only 61% of employees are satisfied with the transparency around senior leadership decisions — far lower than the 75% satisfaction seen in smaller companies.
Additionally, Gen Z employees are struggling to understand their impact, with less than half having a clear understanding of how their individual success is measured. This leads to another important issue: retention. Gen Z employees show significantly lower intent to stay long-term with their companies — just 13% plan to stick around for more than 10 years. On the flip side, millennials reported a strong grasp of this at the individual (51%), team (55%), and company levels (52%) and nearly twice as many (25%) intend to stay with their current company for the next decade or more. The takeaway? When employees understand how success is measured, they’re more than twice as likely to feel motivated to achieve it.
Strategies like fostering career growth, breaking down silos, and providing clear performance metrics can empower employees to feel more connected to the company’s goals — and more motivated to help achieve them.
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