People Element

AI adoption is up. Confidence in using it is not.

In 2026, AI usage among workers increased 13%. At the same time, employee confidence in using AI tools fell 18%. And while 76% of executives believe their employees are excited about AI, only 31% of employees say they actually are.

That gap is an engagement problem.

Employees who lack clear information about how AI will affect their roles become anxious, not excited. And when leadership has not communicated a concrete vision for how AI fits the organization's future, trust erodes on both sides.

The organizations navigating this well are not just rolling out tools. They are communicating transparently, aligning leadership around a clear AI strategy, and investing in training before uncertainty becomes disengagement.

AI is not going anywhere. The question is whether your employees feel equipped and informed enough to move forward with it.

The survey itself is not the hard part. Everything that happens before you send it is.

People Element's latest eBook walks HR teams through the critical steps between getting a survey project assigned and hitting send on that first invite, whether it is your first survey or your fiftieth.

From securing leadership buy-in to thoughtful survey design and setting up communication that drives participation, this guide covers the groundwork that determines whether your results are actionable or overlooked.

Download it and set your next survey up for success from the start.

https://pulse.ly/ya0fqkiqiv

Exit interviews come too late. By the time an employee resigns, the opportunity to retain them is already lost.

Stay interviews are proactive—they help you understand why employees stay, what they value, and what might cause them to leave before it's too late.

Here's why they matter:

72% of organizations rely on exit interviews. Only 28% use stay interviews.

Most companies gather feedback after it's too late to make a difference.
50% of employees are watching or actively looking for a new job.
Many aren't unhappy—they're just open to better offers. Stay interviews uncover hidden dissatisfaction.

3.3 million employees voluntarily quit their jobs in 2024.

That's 2.1% of the workforce. Stay interviews help you understand why before they walk out the door.

34% cite engagement and culture as their main reason for leaving.
Culture isn't a "nice to have"—it's a retention driver. Stay interviews reveal whether employees feel they belong.

Organizations prioritizing career development see 17 percentage points higher retention.

Stay interviews help you identify gaps in growth opportunities.
Well-recognized employees are 65% less likely to actively seek new jobs.
Stay interviews gauge whether employees feel appreciated.

The message is clear: proactive retention strategies work. Organizations that listen, respond, and adapt keep their talent—and thrive because of it.

Learn more about stay interview statistics:
https://pulse.ly/gtpdj7w8cu

Top 6 Statistics for Retention and Stay Interviews | People Element Discover 6 key stats that show why stay interviews are essential for reducing turnover, boosting engagement, and improving retention.

What really drives employee engagement? It's not what most leaders think.

Many believe compensation is the biggest driver. But data from hundreds of organizations reveal the real top 5:

- Growth & Development
- Company Communication
- Well-being
- Feeling Valued
- Employee Voice

When employees feel heard, supported, and valued—not just paid—engagement thrives.

HR leaders, this one is worth your time.

People Element's ROI Guide for Continuous Listening breaks down the real business case for employee feedback across the entire employee journey, from onboarding through exit, backed by data.

Inside you will find research-supported KPIs, a full employee journey ROI infographic, and a clear look at how HR can directly drive organizational profitability.

Download the guide and see what a continuous listening strategy could mean for your bottom line.

ROI Guide for Continuous Listening This guide shares how you can create real ROI at your organization at every step of the employee journey.

Most organizations track absenteeism. Very few track presenteeism.

That is a costly oversight. Research shows presenteeism costs two to three times more than absenteeism. A disengaged employee who shows up every day and says nothing in an exit interview is still costing their organization an estimated 34% of their annual salary in lost productivity.
At scale, low engagement cost the global economy $8.9 trillion in 2024.
At the organizational level, McKinsey found that addressing the top engagement drivers alone can help a median S&P 500 company recoup up to $56 million annually.

The ROI case for engagement is not soft. It is one of the clearest investment opportunities available to leadership.

Download our FREE 2026 Employee Engagement Trends Annual Report: https://pulse.ly/hgkt5iy4uz

Employees do not just want a job. They want a future.

Growth opportunities, recognition, and a manageable workload are among the strongest predictors of employee engagement, and the latest data reveals some important signals worth paying attention to.
The good news: 71% of employees feel they have someone at work who encourages their development, and 70% feel valued. Both are moving in the right direction.

The concern: the percentage of employees who feel their workload is reasonable dropped from 71% to 69%, suggesting increasing strain across the workforce. And perceptions of promotion opportunity have barely moved in years, hovering between 54% and 56%.

Employees are not just asking "how do I get promoted?" They are asking "will my skills still matter in two years?" Career development conversations need to evolve to address both.

Organizations that invest in internal mobility, proactive upskilling, and honest growth conversations are not just improving engagement scores. They are building the kind of workforce that stays, contributes, and grows with the organization over time.

Is your organization addressing skill relevance, or just advancement?

Download our FREE 2026 Employee Engagement Trends Annual Report: https://pulse.ly/tcnowjciby