Tech is eroding employee trust — and internal communicators must come to the rescue
Just 10 percent of UK workers report feeling motivated at work — and technology is the main contributor to their worsening workplace cultures. That’s according to the latest monthly trends report from the Institute of Internal Communication.
The motivation slump coincides with a rise in what the report calls “digital micromanagement” — organisations using technology to monitor employee behaviour and performance.
The report suggests over a third of employers are now using “bossware”, such as email tracking and web browsing surveillance tools to keep tabs on their people. The rising use of AI to manage performance may also be contributing to a breakdown in trust between employer and employee, with 72% of people saying they distrust AI-assisted reviews.
The report argues that organisations engaging in digital micromanagement risk losing their best people to employers who empower their people, rather than spy on them. And that internal communicators have a powerful role to play in championing employee autonomy and trust-building over surveillance.
As well as the crisis in workplace trust, the report also offers internal communicators advice on their role in:
dealing with the practical and ethical challenges of adopting AI
proactively adapting the workplace to a changing climate
educating employees about pension planning, with 40% of workers lacking adequate retirement provision
reshaping career models in a world where some Gen Z women are beginning to out-earn men
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