For Employees, Shared Values Matter More Than Policy Positions, Qualtrics Research Shows
June 02 2022 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
New Qualtrics research shows that while people
want to hear from their employers on workplace issues, they most
crave alignment on values
Values, especially well-being, honesty, and respect, are more
important to workers even than higher pay, according to new
research from Qualtrics (Nasdaq: XM). More than half of US
employees (54%) would be willing to take a pay cut to work at a
company with better values, and even more – 56% – wouldn’t even
consider a job at a company that has values they disagree with.
While shared values are a top priority, workers are split on
whether they want companies and company leaders to speak out more
on social, environmental and political issues. And the most
contentious of American issues, including reproductive and
constitutional rights, are at the bottom of the list of topics
workers want to see their leaders addressing.
The findings offer a guideline for company leaders wondering
about the right level of internal and external commentary when
faced with divisive public policy debates. As societal divisions
widen in the US, employees rely more than ever on their companies
for guidance and community. The Qualtrics research showed that
people feel their employer is more responsible than their family,
community, or government for their health and safety. The 2022
Edelman Trust Barometer reported that people trust their CEO and
co-workers more than politicians, journalists, or even their
neighbors1.
Employees want their company executives to speak out about
societal and environmental issues – only 15% think their company
should do so less. But there is some nuance when it comes to what
they want to hear from their employers about. When asked to select
their top three choices from a list of topics, 44% of workers said
employers should prioritize weighing in on employee well-being, 35%
wanted to hear more about wages, and 33% would like their employers
to speak out about worker rights and safety.
A far smaller share wanted their employers to speak out about
reproductive issues (3.3%), constitutional rights (4.8%) or
politics (2.8%).
“When it comes to divisive policy issues and debates, a shared
set of meaningful values can be a good place to find some common
ground,” said Qualtrics Chief People Officer Julia Anas. “Every
leader, employee and workplace is different, but if we can all
rally around the basics – integrity, respect, safety and wellness –
it’s going to enhance the employee experience and strengthen the
organizational culture, even when we don’t agree about every
issue.”
The risks of speaking out may be lower than employers believe,
according to the research. The most likely consequence of a
disagreement is an internal discussion. In a case where they deeply
disagreed with a company’s position on a social, environmental or
political issue, 33% of employees said they would consider writing
a private message to the executive or their manager, while 25% said
they would discuss it with co-workers. Only 11% would consider
posting about it publicly on social media, and 6% would consider
taking it to the press.
Methodology
This study was fielded between April 7 and April 21, 2022.
Respondents were selected from a randomized panel and considered
eligible if they live in the United States, are at least 18 years
of age and are employed full-time or part-time. The total number of
respondents was 1,178. Respondents who did not pass quality
standards were removed.
About Qualtrics
Qualtrics, the leader and creator of the Experience Management
(XM) category, is changing the way organizations manage and improve
the four core experiences of business—customer, employee, product
and brand. Over 16,750 organizations around the world use Qualtrics
to listen, understand and take action on experience data
(X-data™)—the beliefs, emotions and intentions that tell you why
things are happening, and what to do about it. The Qualtrics XM
Platform™ is a system of action that helps businesses attract
customers who stay longer and buy more, engage employees who build
a positive culture, develop breakthrough products people love and
build a brand people are passionate about. To learn more, please
visit qualtrics.com.
1 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, slide 14
https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2022-01/2022%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20FINAL_Jan25.pdf
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Press contact Emily Heffter press@qualtrics.com
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