Doing More with Less: Insights on Addressing Worker Strain, Burnout

Workers are feeling less motivated and creative in their jobs than one year ago, according to a Workforce 2026 Global Insights Report by consulting firm Korn Ferry.

Based on the firm’s annual survey of 16,000 global workers across a range of job roles, age demographics and industries, the report revealed six key findings:

1. Busy work doesn’t always translate to valuable work. Sixty-two percent of workers said their workload has increased significantly over the last two years.
2. Fifty-two percent of workers said artificial intelligence (AI) has increased tasks rather than reduced workloads, while 79% of chief executive officers (CEOs) reported increased efficiency.
3. Sixty-one percent of workers reported performing the responsibilities of more than one role.
4. Workers are clocked in but checked out. Fifteen percent said they are less motivated this year to do their best work.
5. Cost cutting is hurting innovation. Sixty-four percent of workers said their organization prioritizes efficiency over value, while 52% said existing processes hold back performance.
6. Managers are maxed out, with 49% reporting they feel exhausted by the pace of change.

WorldatWork members can access bonus articles on this subject:

• How to Motivate Your Employees to Do Their Best Work
• Reengineer the Manager Role to Build Capacity and Growth 

WorldatWork Today (WT) interviewed Roger Philby, the global lead of people strategy and performance practice at Korn Ferry, about what the findings say about today’s workforce and where it’s heading.

Roger Philby, Korn Ferry

WT: Across these six findings, what stood out to you? Were any of them surprising?

Philby: The thing that really stood out for me is that two realities exist. CEOs and senior leaders see AI as an efficiency gain driving productivity, while the employee experiences more tasks, more change.

Employees are feeling less efficient, [and also] swamped and overwhelmed. … It feels like more [work is being added] on top. The reason is because we haven’t dealt with the core asset, which is the job. We haven’t redesigned the work. We’ve laid technology over the work that exists, thinking that will achieve productivity or efficiency.

Alongside that, you’ve got workers who are clocked in but checked out, which I think is potentially one of the most interesting aspects of the report that I didn’t really see coming.

WT: What do these findings tell us about the current state of the workforce?

Philby: It tells us the workforce is pretty exhausted and that the promise of releasing productivity through AI hasn’t yet materialized.

We’re seeing people default more than ever to the base level of needs: Am I getting paid? Can I put food on the table? Is my job secure? That’s the first time we’ve seen that in the data.

Organizations need to innovate, and we need more from our colleagues, but our colleagues are asking for security and fair pay. I worry that the discretionary effort we need to make this change happen may be missing.

My general view of what the data tells us is that this is a real moment where leaders can make a real difference.

WT: How can organizations balance efficiency and cost pressures, yet still provide workers with an environment where they can innovate and create value?

Philby: If we’re going to have any chance of increasing the rate of innovation, we have to look at where we’re spending our time today. What can we automate to create the space?

Then, importantly, the role of the manager is to help employees understand where they should be redeploying that time to help the organization meet its commercial needs, which, generally, is about innovation.

What we’ve been promised is that AI will take us away from the mundane tasks and give us time back. The job of a leader or a manager is to say, “This is where we want you to spend that time.”

WT: How can HR and its Rewards professionals use the report’s findings to inform their talent strategies moving forward?

Philby: The decline in global motivation is probably the most striking thing. There’s a pattern beneath it around pay, job security and benefits.

Work is still important, but pay and security have shot up. It’s always been about purpose, and all of a sudden, purpose has declined. So, how do you secure the foundations around rewards, job decisions and benefits with a layer of transparency and fairness? Because it’s not just money. Work still matters, but people’s sense of purpose and the connection of their work to the value the organization is creating is really key.

The collective ambition is to make purpose and work the number one reason people stay and join your company, because we’ll have a more engaged and productive workforce.

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Employee Experience
• Employee Recognition
• Total Rewards
• Well-Being
• Workforce Engagement