Dayforce: Executives are disconnected to employees – here’s how to fix it

Is your workforce and your business aligned?

In an international survey (spanning Australia, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, and US) of 6,935 workers, managers, and executives, HCM leader Dayforce, found that although there was an alignment among frontline workers and managers, there was a clear disconnect with executives.

These misalignments span a broad range of critical business challenges, such as workforce planning and pay.

In an exclusive conversation with Justine Janssen, Chief Strategy Officer at Dayforce, UNLEASH explores this disconnect in further depth, as well as how it can be rectified by business leaders.

Understanding and overcoming the disconnect

Dayforce’s latest data found that 26% of workers and 40% of managers feel their organization has either no or low appreciation for its employees, compared to just 16% of executives – highlighting a clear disconnect.

“When asked what would make employees feel more appreciated, compensation was – not surprisingly – the number one answer,” Janssen explains.

What’s more, only 65% of workers and 48% of managers believe that employees receive fair pay, compared to seven in ten executives. 

Expanding on this in greater depth, Janssen says: “Our research shows a close alignment between frontline workers and managers, but a disconnect with executives at the helm of their organizations when it comes to workforce planning, pay, labor shortages and skills gaps, workforce compliance, and culture. 

This points to a big opportunity for organizations to improve decision making, increase efficiency, lower turnover, and realize overall higher performance by closing the gap in perception between managers and executives.”

To help businesses overcome this disconnect, the report identified five key areas in which managers can better support their frontline workers, while also improving their performance.

1. Support workforce planning: Scheduling was found to be a major driver of turnover; Dayforce found that 89% of managers and 86% of workers were more likely to leave their current job for a role with a better schedule. 

2. Competitive pay: Although executives (88%) appeared happy with the data they have to make competitive compensation decisions, managers (72%) did not share the same level of confidence. By increasing the amount of salary data, the report suggests that employee turnover will be reduced. 

3. Labor shortages and skills gaps: Dayforce’s research found that 65% of surveyed workers want to advance in their company, but they will need to be supported with skills development opportunities. 

4. Workforce compliance: The report suggests that businesses should leverage technology to make compliance easier, as 92% of executives surveyed said their organization has compliance challenges. Additionally, 42% of managers agreed that workforce compliance has become harder over the past two years. 

5. Building culture and connections: Frontline workers (72%) felt less connected to their employer compared to executives (90%). Therefore, businesses need to understand that executives must engage with workers – their employee experience is no longer just a manager’s responsibility.

Concluding, Janssen says: “The takeaway for HR leaders is that managers are key to helping reduce turnover, avoidable costs, and negative customer experiences – but they aren’t always getting what they need to effectively manage today’s frontline workforce. 

“Organizations need to empower their managers with data, tools, and executive support to improve decision-making around important issues like scheduling, pay, and labor shortages to improve performance and make work life better for frontline employees.”