The needs of employees don’t change that much year-to-year, so when there are shifts, workplaces would do well to pay attention. Prepared by our Center for Workforce Transformation, the latest Perceptyx Benchmark Megatrends report analyzed survey responses collected from 2022-2024 from more than 20 million workers from 200 countries and spanning all major industries. The findings show career growth and development now play a central role in whether employees stay, engage, and perform.
Our analysis takes a closer look at three key workplace trends from the 2025 Benchmark report.
- Employee Engagement in Focus: How change management drives engagement, why the complete employee journey matters, and the ways engagement differs across generations.
- 2025: The Year of Growth and Development: Why development is crucial for retention, how organizations neglect older employees' growth, what mid-career employees need, and the support managers require.
- Belonging in Today's Workplace: How belonging connects to feeling valued during periods of change, the unique challenges of union employees, and the evolving barriers to belonging across leadership levels.
All of our data points to one unavoidable conclusion: organizations that tailor their approaches to different employee groups and different employee career stages build stronger, more engaged workforces.
Trend 1: Employee Engagement in Focus
Engagement starts with change management, but it doesn't end there.
Employees know workplaces go through frequent changes, from software implementations and process improvements to strategy and leadership changes, but they expect support during these transitions. For the second straight year, managing change effectively tops the list of what distinguishes fully engaged employees from others. Yet engagement in 2025 goes beyond just managing change — it encompasses how people feel throughout the process.
During constant change, employees want clarity about their future, connection to their team and culture, and trust in leadership. They need to know their work still matters, particularly when priorities change. When organizations address these questions during transitions, engagement stays stronger.
Other Key Findings of Note:
- Employee experience naturally declines during an employee’s lifecycle with the company, but ensuring strong connections, even through exit, will serve an organization’s brand well into the future.
- Engagement experiences on the job vary by age and career stage, with younger employees proving to be the best company advocates.
Trend 2: 2025 Is The Year of Growth and Development
Without development, even committed employees may walk away.
The data reveals that intent to stay now links strongly to career trajectory. Four of the top five drivers of intent to stay connect directly to career growth. Employees planning to remain with their organization are 3x as likely to believe they can achieve their career goals and more than twice as likely to see meaningful development opportunities and a clear path forward with their current company.
These employees also tend to believe their day-to-day work prepares them for long-term success. While competitive pay and flexible work matter, companies that don't invest in employee development risk losing their best people.
Organizations fall short on growth opportunities for older employees.
The perception of career opportunities declines steadily from Gen Z (75%) to Baby Boomers (59%). Satisfaction with training also peaks with Gen Z. This pattern suggests that as workers gain expertise, organizations neglect spending time on development tailored to later career stages.
Interestingly, older workers feel more positive than younger ones about their skills being used effectively. Yet their declining satisfaction with growth opportunities signals a need for organizations to rethink development approaches. Growth isn't just about offering development — it's about offering the right development at the right time.
Other Key Findings of Note:
- Mid-career employees are more likely to stay when advancement decisions are transparent and fair, even when not promoted.
- Managers are most in need of immediate operational support (good management!) to ease the pressure.
Trend 3: Belonging in Today's Workplace
Workers who belong feel valued, heard, and supported, especially during change.
A sense of belonging continues to distinguish positive employee experiences from negative ones. Year-over-year, one pattern holds steady: employees who feel they belong are 3.5x more likely to say they feel valued by their company. Career growth also connects strongly — those who feel they belong more often believe they can achieve their career goals and that their current work sets them up for future success.
What's new in 2025? Support during organizational changes now drives belonging significantly. This highlights how change management, career development, and belonging interconnect — employees want reassurance that their existing skills still matter while understanding what new skills they should develop.
Other Key Findings of Note:
- Union employees report weaker belonging and less effective cross-functional collaboration, revealing cultural and communication gaps.
- Belonging challenges shift as leaders move up the ladder, requiring tailored support at each stage of management.
How Learning and Development Changes Across Employee Ages and Stages
With AI changing workplaces, employees prefer staying where they see potential for growth. Today's workers don't just wonder "Am I happy here?" but "Can I grow here?" The 2025 data is clear: employees’ growth and development are central to the retention of top talent. This is true across multiple employee groups.
However, an additional truth emerged: while the need for learning is universal, the specific needs are individual. This is particularly true across the ages and stages of the employee lifecycle. Early-career workers want foundational training and visible advancement opportunities. Mid-career professionals seek transparent promotion processes and a clearer understanding of their potential paths forward. Veteran employees require development that honors their expertise while keeping their skills relevant in a workplace they fear may be evolving to no longer need them. Organizations that recognize and respond to these differentiated needs, rather than offering one-size-fits-all development programs, will be the ones that successfully retain their most valuable talent in 2025 and beyond.
Career paths become less clear in middle age. For those in their 40s and 50s, the next steps aren't obvious; development programs may not be designed with their needs in mind, and many worry AI might make their skills obsolete. These experienced managers, who influence many others, benefit from personalized coaching at scale, such as the Grow solution from Perceptyx, that provides direction.
The path forward requires meeting employees where they are. Provide tailored development when it's needed. Listen attentively. Offer visible support. Show each employee, regardless of age, level, or position, that they matter today and tomorrow.
Click here to download the 2025 Benchmark Megatrends report. For more EX research insights like these, subscribe to our blog.