After the COVID-19 pandemic, a significantly lower number of employees are content with their employers. This is evident from our annual survey conducted among employees working in the industry & energy, retail & wholesale, hospitality & leisure, and business and financial services sectors. Concurrently, employee engagement has increased: individuals are more enthusiastic about going to work and take pride in their job.
Employers are no longer receiving recommendations
The competitive job market and the current economic situation have led to a negative perception of employers: employees are no longer recommending their employers. The Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) for employee satisfaction with their employer was negative in 2022, at -15. During the COVID-19 pandemic, employers were still receiving positive recommendations (+7). Frequently cited reasons for dissatisfaction include salary, workload, and the lack of attention or appreciation received.
Age and educational level influence satisfaction with the employer
The youngest group of employees (aged 18 to 29) is the least satisfied with their employer (eNPS of -29). Education also plays a significant role in the likelihood of recommending the employer: the higher the level of education, the lower the dissatisfaction among employees.
Engagement is on the rise, but involvement hasn't improved
It's worth noting that employees are displaying increased engagement in their work compared to the COVID-19 period. Nearly three-quarters of them are eager to go to work (+10 percentage points higher than in 2021).
In 2022, employees did not feel more connected to their employers than in the previous year. Seven out of ten employees report satisfaction with their employer, with just over half (55%) stating that the employer holds significant value to them. Almost two-thirds of employees (64%) take pride in the organization they work for.
Despite disappointing inflation adjustments, employees remain loyal to their employers
Less than four out of ten working Dutch citizens believe their employment conditions have been adequately adjusted to the current inflation rate. The largest employers (with 200+ employees) scored the lowest on this measure. Nevertheless, about 85% of employees say they can still envision themselves working at their current employer a year from now. A lack of challenge is a reason to leave. Additionally, appreciation is also a reason to leave, with over 1 in 10 employees saying they do not feel valued by the organization. This is mainly because they do not feel recognized as individuals or that their contributions go unnoticed.
According to Anne Branger, Managing Director of InnerVoice, the research indicates that most employers are not succeeding in engaging employees in their organizations in the current job market. "This is a missed opportunity because, in the current competitive labor market, strong recommendations from current colleagues are among the most effective recruitment tools. I see opportunities for employers to improve this by ensuring that employees feel safe, seen, and valued. A first step in achieving this is to regularly listen to your employees."
About this research
This research was conducted in late 2022 by the InnerVoice research agency among working Dutch individuals aged 18 and older, employed in the industry & energy, retail & wholesale, hospitality & leisure, and business and financial services sectors.
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