UK HR leaders and C-suite professionals are facing mounting pressure to respond to employee demands for higher pay, working flexibility and value and purpose propositions, according to Barnett Waddingham.
HR leaders and C-suite executives report feeling extremely stressed (22%) while 17% report being unable to keep up with work changes, and 16% are unsure about priorities.
Nearly 25% of respondents say they feel overburdened by work obligations. One of the main worries for organisations is the requests made by employees, which include more pay at 79%, increased flexibility at 78%, stronger values at 77%, and more hybrid working at 73%.
Meanwhile, 51% of HR leaders believe that employee demands are frequently unreasonable with leaders stressing how difficult it is to meet expectations.
Barnett Waddingham platform and benefits partner Julia Turney says: “It should come as no surprise to anyone that we are now dealing with workforces who are not afraid to voice their priorities to employers, but will quickly move on if a job doesn’t suit their needs. While this can make it easier for businesses to quickly understand the needs of their workforces, it is also clearly placing a lot of pressure on HR leaders who are struggling to prioritise responding to their demands.
“With this in mind, now has never been more important then ever for employers to take a data-led approach to their HR function. As employee demands increase, having the right intelligence at your fingertips is vital to ensure you can make informed, and accurate decisions that benefit both your staff, and organisation as a whole. HR directors and C-suite professionals should consider the tools available to support them in this respect, and work with partners to ensure they can effectively prioritise.”
