Dayforce: 46% are motivated to work harder by a good company culture

Company culture is not fluffy – if organizations don’t get this right, it has a real impact on bottom lines.

That’s according to Dayforce’s Pulse of Talent report.

The HR tech company surveyed 9,500 executives, HR leaders, managers and workers from across the world, and found that seven in ten would turn down a job opportunity because the culture didn’t feel right, and almost half (48%) have quit a job over culture.

The data also showed that when companies got culture right, it led to higher engagement (51%) and motivated individuals to work harder (46%).

The problem at the moment is that there are cultural haves and have nots.

While 84% of executives and 81% of HR leaders think the company is actively improving company culture, only 49% of workers agree.

In addition, 69% of executives are proud of where they work, but only 50% of managers and 42% of workers are in agreement.

It is clear that companies know the importance of investing in culture, but they seem to be investing in the wrong places if employees and managers aren’t feeling the benefits.

Where should HR invest when it comes to culture?

According to Dayforce’s report, organizations need to get communication right, and they need to listen to employees’ needs.

This is particularly important as there is a wellbeing crisis within organizations.

78% of respondents told Dayforce they had been burnt out this year, a finding that Nicole Bello, Group VP for EMEA at Dayforce, tells UNLEASH is particularly concerning.

“This persistent challenge requires more than superficial fixes, and HR leaders must prioritize understanding the root causes of burnout and fostering a genuinely supportive environment,” Bello adds.

Employees are also sharing that they need more learning and development opportunities – employees are 41% less likely to see a career path that matches their career goals than those higher up the organization.

The issue here is technology – while 32% of executives have access to AI-powered job recommendations, only 4% workers surveyed said the same.

This plays into a bigger disconnect on technology that HR teams need to rectify.

75% of leaders and 71% of HR leaders said they have the technology to do their jobs, but only 61% of managers and 56% of workers agree. This discrepancy is particularly stark when it comes to AI; with 72% of executives saying they are positively impacted by AI, versus 31% of workers.

Bello shares that “less than half (49%) of employees agree AI is used responsibly in their organization, only half agree they have a clear understanding of how AI will be used by their company, and only 46% say AI is used to make better decisions at their company”.

She adds: “This necessitates increased transparency and communication from HR regarding AI’s implementation and impact.”

It’s time for HR to take “decisive action” and really move the needle to see their organization thrive into the future.