What do employees want in 2025? New data tells us what they look for in organisations

Have you ever asked employees what they want?

What do you mean, want? How could you possibly know what employees want? 

Last week we wrote about what candidates in 2025 are looking for in organisations, but what about what employees want?

Because we know it’s one thing to attract and hire a candidate, and another thing to retain them as an employee. 

A recent report from Xref analysed data from over 40,000 employee engagement surveys to discover what employees think their organisation’s strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement are.

We know that for many people, work is where they find meaning and connection— basic human needs. They are places where we work with people, for people and with people. 

Workplace flexibility is important and post-COVID has now made it a stronger desire for most employees. Despite Peter Dutton promising to force public servants back to office, work is only one part of people’s lives. Employees appreciate the availability of flexible work arrangements to achieve work-life balance.

And that’s why many employees cite flexibility as something most organisations are managing well.

Which is important to know, given many HR teams have focused and worked on improving flexibility across their organisation. Data from 40,000 employees showed that across the board, the organisation’s top three areas of interest are:

1. Communication
2. Resource allocation
3. Training and career development

In this blog, we’ll explore why organisations excel in their strengths and fall short on their growth areas, and how HR teams can use these insights to review their employee engagement strategies in 2025 and beyond. 

The good and pretty 

Community and customer focus

25 per cent of employees said they are working in organisations that are committed to serving and meeting customers needs—meaning clients, patients, passengers, students of the community at large. They take joy in providing high quality service to people and are proud to be in organisations that empower them to dig deeper and give customers, in any way, shape or form, the cherry on top 

Interestingly, this resonated with employees in the public sector compared to employees in the private sector. Employees aged over 60 tended to value communication more than younger employees. This makes sense and aligns with employees with later stage career ambitions who want to give back. 

Teamwork 

Being on the same page is important. Which is why teamwork is the second biggest strength organisations are owning for employees. 

Employees feel strongly about teamwork because those who can collaborate and work toward common goals are more likely to support each other, inside and outside the office. 

Across the private and public sector, employees at private companies were more likely to value teamwork, collegially and collaboration as a strength they value and look for in organisations as opposed to public organisations.

Gen Z and millennials are more likely to value teamwork. This is true for most people at the earlier stage of their life, as they look for practical and social real support, and enjoy the benefits of a wider social network for general life satisfaction. 

Leadership 

Interestingly, leadership was the only attribute that ranked as a strength and a weakness for employees in organisations. The good news is that 16 per cent of employees think management is approachable, empowering and able to provide employees with support and guidance. 

The bad is that it’s a differentiator in the quality of employee experience. And unfortunately, the older you are, the worse it is. 

Employees younger than managers see leadership as mouthpieces to their success, and inadvertently put them on a pedestal, even if they’re not doing a great job. Whereas older employees who are the same age or older than their manager might see them for who they are behind the title.

The bad, the ugly and the learnings

Communication 

Everyone does it, which is why it’s hard to get right. Generally, people find it easy to communicate with their tribe—meaning people in their team. But when people venture to foreign lands—like another floor—communication and coordination can suffer. This could be exacerbated by the increase in flexible work. 

Which is why HR teams need to invest in soft skills. And reclaim the lost skill of communication. 

Resources

Interestingly, both employees and employers are feeling the pinch of the tight labour market in Australia. With most employees feeling the pressure to do more than less. 

More employees in the public and not-for-profit sector cite this as a problem, which makes sense as these organisations rely on government funding to progress projects.

Training and career development 

Being allowed to upskill and shine is an important topic on employees' wishlists in 2025. Over 20 per cent of employees request more investment in relevant training programs and clear progression paths, probably because they’re worried about the impact relating to the lack of training and upskilling. 

An important and slightly harrowing insight is that one of the top reasons cited in employee exit interviews in 2025 was the lack of training and career progression. 

And you guessed it, this is particularly true for younger employees in the private sector as opposed to older employees in either sector. This is because younger employees are frightened by the prospect of the corporate ladder in front of them, and don’t want to be left high and dry without skills as they progress through their career. 

Younger employees are also more likely to be juggling a side hustle or second job, so are more interested in soaking up skills so they can use them laterally across jobs and functions. 

The learnings

Communication 

You’d be surprised to hear that information is still passed through the water cooler conversation. HR teams need to work together to connect dispersed workforces and create more strategic channels to promote communication and collaboration. For example:

• Leader support, role-modelling and building a strong shared employer or brand identity. 
• Training staff in project or change management processes to ensure employees who are affected by change have timely input, including responsibility, impact and progress. 
• Establish cross-functional teams or networks that have sufficient time to deal with the problems at hand, by providing initial kick-off meetings and setting up digital communication channels

Resources

Did you know that the Australian Code of Practice lists job demands such as unreasonable or excessive time pressure or poor support as a breach? 

This means it’s on HR to identify and implement control measures to minimise the risk of harm by ensuring employees are well resourced and supported. Ways to do this are:

• Pressure managers to schedule non-urgent work for quieter periods 
• Redistribute work when employees are out of office or on leave 
• Outsource casual staff in busy periods 

Training and career development

Investing in training and development enables organisations to adapt, compete and improve services. It challenges career progression and retains employees. Here are some tips for enhancing training and development activities:

• Get creative. Explore development options like job rotation, lateral movement or even secondments in partner organisations so employees can develop a breadth of organisational exposure.
• Ensure managers are talking to team members about their career interests and plans. 

About us

Martian Logic has been empowering HR teams for years with simple, scalable solutions that let organisations thrive. Our intuitive HRIS streamlines HR, from recruitment and onboarding to performance tracking and internal mobility. By harnessing robust analytics and real-time insights, our platform helps you dive deep into employee feedback through surveys and data-driven hiring insights. This means you can tailor your hiring and promotion strategies to balance merit with diversity, ensuring you attract and retain the best talent. Ready to transform your HR approach in 2025? Contact us today and discover how Martian Logic can boost engagement, retention, and long-term success.