Employees embrace change when properly supported – Retail World Magazine

Australian workers are defying a global trend of declining engagement, with customer-facing employee engagement rising over the past year, according to new research by Qualtrics.
This research, based on responses from over 2000 Australian employees as part of a global study of more than 33,000 workers across 24 countries, reveals a stark contrast between Australia and the rest of the world: while Australian employees are experiencing more organisational turbulence, they’re responding with greater resilience when properly supported through listening and change management.
Key findings from the Qualtrics ‘2026 Employee Experience Trends Report’ include:
The majority (76%) of Australian employees surveyed experienced significant organisational change over the last year, including:
“What we’re seeing in Australia challenges the narrative of change fatigue,” says Steve Bennetts, Head of Growth & Strategy, Employee Experience at Qualtrics.
“Australian workers – both part-time employees and new hires – are all showing remarkable resilience compared to their global peers, which is a direct result of organisations actively listening to employees and supporting them through transition.”
Those surveyed at organisations that increased listening frequency reported 90% engagement, compared to just 34% at organisations that reduced listening. The 56-point percentage-gap demonstrates that listening is essential during times of change, says Qualtrics.  
This relationship extends beyond engagement. Australian organisations with more frequent listening also saw higher inclusion (89% vs 39% with less listening) and wellbeing (89% vs 40% with less listening). When listening decreases, intent to stay among those surveyed drops to just 31% (vs 47% globally).
“Organisational changes create both risk and opportunity,” says Mr Bennetts.
“The data signals that Australian employees are less willing to tolerate being ignored during times of change. These are precisely the moments when employees need to feel heard, and leading Australian organisations will be the ones that couple change with consistent, meaningful listening and support employees with the right tools and processes to navigate uncertainty.”
Just over half (56%) of those surveyed are using AI frequently at work, but only 22% are exclusively using company-provided tools – a figure that has declined from 25% a year ago.
“This mirrors a global pattern where employees are increasingly turning to unauthorised AI tools to meet productivity demands, creating potential security and compliance risks,” says Qualtrics.  
The surveyed Australian employees are using AI to complete tasks faster (60%), improve work quality (57%) and increase their overall productivity (51%) – all of which mirror global use cases.
However, fewer surveyed Australian employees (30% vs 37% globally) say AI enables them to accomplish things they previously couldn’t do.
The report reveals a difference in how Australian employees view workplace feedback.
Less than half (41%) of those surveyed want their leaders to listen more, and 65% say they actually enjoy giving feedback, slightly lower than the global average of 68%.
“Australian employees clearly want to be heard and are happy to give feedback, but they’re also hungry for more listening from leadership,” says Mr Bennetts.  
“This suggests Australian organisations need to rethink how they gather employee input and perhaps consider moving away from traditional survey approaches and toward more integrated listening moments across more touch points.”  
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