Two-thirds of UK workers say employers fail to match their values
In a climate of economic and social uncertainty, job security remains the key factor people look for in the workplace – but linked to that, a transparent boss with integrity is a key factor for workers exploring a new position. Four-in-five office workers said that their employer’s reputation would factor into their decision to take a job, according to research from United Culture.
Following the pandemic, a brief period where employees were keen to have the essential nature of their work reflected in their pay and conditions saw swathes of staff move between jobs – in what was termed the ‘Great Resignation’. While a stagnant economy, rampant inflation, tumultuous trade decisions, and the threat of AI ‘taking jobs’ have all been used to discipline the workforce in the wake of that, however, workers are still determined not to settle for second best, when it comes to choosing a new employer.
The 2025 Work Remastered study from company culture specialist United Culture surveyed 1,500 employed adults across the UK, US and Western Europe. And the paper found that UK workers in particular were keen to hold their bosses to higher standards.
While only 23% of staff in France felt their employers should share their values, for example, that rose to 41% in the UK. Further to this, Work Remastered found that values were a leading priority for UK office workers, where 50% felt it was important that organisational values around transparency and honesty, fair treatment and inclusivity, and recognition of their contribution in particular were aligned to their personal beliefs. After all, while “job security” might still top the agenda, what does “job security” actually count for, when you can’t trust the word of your manager, or company?
Misalignment
Victoria Lewis-Stephens, managing director at United Culture, commented, “Aligning with employees’ own values is something that businesses should bear in mind. What’s more important though, is that an organisation sets out its values clearly and that these are reflected in the workplace experience. After all, only 10% of our respondents admit their work defines who they are; it’s a means to an end for a fifth, and a further 21% suggest work enables them to do the things they love.”
Perhaps the previously-mentioned factors of the cost-of-living crisis and alleged AI replacement mean employers still feel little need to live up to this. According to the survey, only 31% of UK office workers felt their organisation’s values are truly reflected in the workplace – behind 48% in the US and a global average of 39% – suggesting employers don’t feel under pressure to live up to these expectations. However, in an age where sourcing new talent can still offer a key edge in adapting to market volatility – and where technology is still being talked about in terms of potential rather than a concrete business case – firms could be causing themselves problems.
Lewis-Stephens concluded, “Reputation and values are a currency employees trade on when the world around them feels uncertain. People are no longer satisfied with platitudes, they expect their immediate leaders - at the very least - to be honest in a political climate in which terms like ‘post-truth’ are being bandied around. Transparency has tangible business advantages, 26% of those polled suggest they do their best work when their leaders communicate openly, honestly, and frequently.”
