Over a third (37%) of workers in ‘deskless’ industries, including care, think their employee experience in worse than before the pandemic, according to new research.

In the poll by Cloud Assess over half of workers cited staffing issues as a key challenge, followed by less in-person training (37%), worse communication (36%) and fewer opportunities for development (26%).

Over half (53%) felt less motivated, with 32% unhappy at work and 31% less productive.

One in five said they would consider leaving their company in the next 12 months, with 17% considering leaving their industry altogether.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of businesses stopped some activities entirely because of the pandemic and have not resumed them since, including team parties, face-to-face meetings, and in-person training. This move away from face-to-face interactions was not supported by the vast majority of workers, with 84% claiming they would like to see some of this activity return. 

Almost three quarters (73%) claimed the training they were offered by their employer has been affected by the pandemic in some way with 26% being offered fewer training opportunities.

Over a third (38%) said their training was being increasingly delivered online with 85% of workers saying this had a negative impact on them. More than a third (39%) said training sessions were now boring, while 34% felt training now being viewed as a tick box exercise by their employers.

Even more concerning, just 20% believed the online training provided to them was actually benefiting their career, while even fewer (18%) thought it was making them better at their job. More than one in 10 workers said they felt less valued by their employer as a result of the move towards online training.

Rob Bright, chief executive and founder of Cloud Assess, said: “The research reveals that key industries like care are facing a major challenge when it comes to employee engagement. Workers are craving those in-person interactions and learning opportunities which they lost out on during the pandemic and employers are failing to meet these demands.

“This couldn’t be coming at a worse time for businesses which are already grappling with a severe skills shortage and simply can’t afford a drop in productivity or, worse, further resignations. Whilst it can be tempting to cut corners when resources are tight, these new statistics demonstrate just how vital it is that employers invest in employee engagement activities, like in-person training, if they want to build happy, motivated and loyal teams.“