Aon plc, a leading global professional services firm, released results from its 2025 Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study. The global study of more than 9,000 employees across 23 geographies, including the US, UK, Brazil and Australia, found that a majority of workers have their eye on their next move and do not feel motivated to grow their skill set as they prioritise well-being and work-life balance.
Aon’s study found that a staggering 60% of employees are already moving on and might or will seek new employment in the next 12 months, revealing widespread dissatisfaction with their current jobs. Moreover, employees surveyed showed a low commitment to improving their AI skill set, as just over a third of employees globally feel motivated to develop new skills to stay relevant when asked about the new technology.
At the same time, demand for flexibility is on the rise, as employees rank work-life balance benefits – such as job sharing or technology-free hours – as the third overall most valued benefit. Gen Z employees rank work-life balance programmes as their second most valued benefit, just behind medical benefits, and outranking paid time off, career development and retirement savings.
Taken together, these results illustrate that employees around the world are reassessing their relationship with their employer and more broadly the “hustle culture” of burnout and “always-on” ethos that has defined recent years of discourse around the future of work – a phenomenon Aon calls the “Hustle Reset.”
“It’s a common belief that the employee trends that took hold during the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021 and 2022 are over, but our study results show a more nuanced picture of the workforce landscape. Despite cooling in the job market, employees are reevaluating their values and priorities and, as they look for their next move, prioritizing employers that will support their life outside of work,” said Lambos Lambrou, CEO of Human Capital at Aon.
Aon’s study results reveal that a strong company culture helps employers recruit and retain top talent amid the “Hustle Reset.” Behind competitive pay and benefits, employees seek businesses that are considered “a fun place to work” and “a strong fit with personal values” over all other factors when selecting a new role.
Other trends identified in Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study include:
- Executives and employees have different AI expectations: 22% of founders and C-suite executives believe that AI will significantly replace jobs in their field, yet only 11% of entry-level employees believe the same. Entry-level employees are 64% more likely to be unsure of the impact AI will have on their roles and 31% less likely to think that it will create new opportunities that require new skills in their field.
- Hybrid workers feel the most valued: Hybrid workers feel the most valued by their company. Fully remote employees are 52% more likely to feel undervalued and office-based workers are 10% more likely to feel undervalued.
- Money talks in the talent war: 47% of employees ranked the provision of better-than-average pay and meaningful benefits as the number one factor influencing their employer choice, but culture is also a key attractor. Considering this, it becomes even more important for businesses to use data and analytics to benchmark pay and benefits against market standards, ensuring they remain competitive. Aon supports this process through its Radford McLagan Compensation Database, which provides actionable insights into market trends and total rewards strategies to help companies attract and retain top talent.
- Too many employers are failing to accommodate differing needs: 72% of employees said personalisation of benefits was important to them, yet only 41% of employees currently have a choice-based system of benefits.
- Ineffective communication is hindering employee utilisation of benefits: The study exposes vital gaps in communication between employers and their people. Even for commonly placed benefits, such as life and disability insurance, our results expose that only 38% of employees who consider life and disability benefits important believe they have access to them.
“The results of our inaugural Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study reveal that employee expectations are shifting and the war for talent is far from over. Employers feel more pressure than ever to deliver a superior experience that retains strong talent. Our firm is ready to help leaders make decisions that move the needle and foster loyalty amid the ‘Hustle Reset,’ creating an environment where employees can thrive,” said Lisa Stevens, chief administrative officer for Aon.
