“Australian organisations are in a constant balancing act between cultivating a strong culture where people can do their best work, and the needs of the business to be agile, efficient, and compliant,” said Brian Donn, Managing Director, APJ, Dayforce, Inc. “Our research provides a data-driven playbook for Australian organisations to make the right investments in culture by aligning their benefits, initiatives, and technology with the needs of their people, thereby creating an advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining the types of employees they want and building a high-performing workforce.”

With leaders under pressure to quantify the value of every dollar spent, it’s increasingly important their investments in culture drive high performance. For the first time, the Dayforce Pulse of Talent report included a Workplace Culture Index, grouping respondents into three categories – Culture Promoters, Culture Passives, and Culture Detractors. Australian respondents most positive about their company culture said there were three areas where their company excelled, relative to those who are most negative about their company culture:

• Supporting productivity with the right technology: Culture Promoters were more likely than Culture Detractors to say they have the technology they need to do their jobs efficiently (85% vs 46%) and to believe that AI will have a positive impact on culture (55% vs 28%).
• Ensuring benefits provided are aligned with worker needs: Culture Promoters were much more likely than Culture Detractors to say their company benefits do a good job of meeting their needs (82% vs 20%).
• Providing flexible work options: Culture Promoters were more likely than Culture Detractors to say they have flexibility in how (51% vs 32%), when (55% vs 32%), and where (55% vs 42%) they work. Perhaps related, Culture Promoters were much more likely to say their employer trusts employees (92% vs. 27%).

When it comes to AI, the Pulse of Talent survey found Australians are less enthusiastic about the technology than their global peers. Australian respondents were less likely to say AI is used responsibly in their company (46% vs. 49% globally), that they have a clear understanding of how it is or will be used (46% vs. 51%), or that AI supports better decision making (43% vs. 46%). This gap helps show that Australian organisations that are intentional about educating their people about the value, benefits, and use cases of AI may better foster meaningful communication and, in turn, support a stronger culture. 

The bottom line is that when it comes to building a productive workforce, culture matters. Three quarters of Australian respondents (75%) said they have or would turn down an opportunity because the culture didn’t feel like the right fit. At the same time, respondents indicated that by improving company culture, they would feel more engaged (59%), experience improved mental health and levels of burnout (55%) and be motivated to work harder (46%).

Additional Information

• Download the report: Calibrating culture in the age of agility
• Read the blog: New research offers a data-driven playbook for building a great company culture   

Survey Methodology

Hanover Research conducted Dayforce’s 15th Annual Pulse of Talent survey online from September 4 to September 20, 2024. The study included 9,489 respondents aged 18+ who work at companies with at least 100 employees across Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Workforce Culture Index featuring Culture Promoters, Culture Passives, and Culture Detractors was based on segmenting the survey data by responses to this question: Thinking only about your employer’s culture, how likely are you to recommend your current employer to your family and friends as a potential employer?

Likelihood to recommend is measured using a 10-point scale, with zero representing "not at all likely to recommend" and 10 representing "extremely likely to recommend.” Respondents that rate themselves as nine or 10 on the likelihood scale are Culture Promoters, while respondents that rate themselves as seven or eight on the likelihood scale are Culture Passives. Respondents that rate themselves zero to six on the scale are determined to be Culture Detractors.