Managers are most at risk of moving on as communication breakdowns impact productivity, retention, compliance, and trust, from corporate offices to the frontlines
LONDON, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from Firstup, the pioneer of intelligent communication and engagement platforms for the workforce, found that nearly half of workers in the United Kingdom will seek a new role within the year, despite a majority proclaiming to be "engaged" at work. The study warns that without a better communication infrastructure, "engagement" is no longer a safeguard against a mass exodus of talent.
For its State of Employee Engagement Report UK, Firstup surveyed 3,127 United Kingdom-based workers across office-based, manager, and hourly roles to understand how engaged they are at work. While a majority of office-based employees (76%), managers (83%), and hourly workers (69%) consider themselves engaged or highly engaged, nearly half (48%, 50%, and 47%, respectively) admit they are still likely to seek a new job within the year.
"Managers are the most engaged yet most likely to move on, and the other roles are not far behind. This disconnect means that engagement alone is no longer a reliable signal of workforce stability," said Bill Schuh, CEO of Firstup. "Organisations must do more to deliver critical information in a consistent, targeted, and measurable way. When employees have to work just to stay informed, engagement can quickly shift to burnout and loss of productivity, not organisational loyalty."
The research indicates that communication breakdowns, combined with a widespread lack of trust in leadership and HR and a frontline management layer that is overwhelmed and under-resourced, are impacting productivity, retention, compliance, and trust. The result is a workforce that may be "engaged" one day and ready to leave for a new job the next. Key findings include:
- Ineffective communication infrastructure is at the root of the issue. Despite most workers receiving updates from their employers regularly, 62%-76% of respondents across roles have missed important policy or procedural updates, and nearly half (37%–48%) say their organisation does not have an effective way to share information with them.
- Messages are poorly prioritised or delivered through systems that do not align with how employees actually work. Respondents across roles cite too many messages (30–55%), lack of time (34–43%), and not knowing where to look (10–14%) as reasons for missing important company updates.
- Managers are trusted but overloaded. Managers remain the most trusted source of information, but they carry a disproportionate share of the employee engagement and communication burden, and it is taking a toll. In fact, 77% of managers face challenges communicating with their frontline teams, and only 21% feel very confident that their current communication keeps workers compliant.
- For frontline workers, disengagement is tied to lack of care, trust, and recognition. Among disengaged hourly employees, 65% feel their employer does not care about their wellbeing. 62% cite poor workplace culture, 60% report a lack of recognition or rewards, and 54% say they do not trust leadership.
- Employees want clearer communication, stronger support, and better tools. Across roles, the top requests beyond pay are consistent: they want their organisations to show they care (50–55%), improve communication (42–54%), and provide better tools (37–44%).
- AI could help close communication gaps, but access is limited for the frontline. Hourly workers are more likely than office-based employees to believe AI could improve workplace communication (37% versus 29%). Yet 68% of hourly workers report they have never used AI tools at work, and 68% say the primary barrier is lack of access.
"Communication mishaps and inefficiencies are pervasive across roles," said Nathan Lowis, Managing Director for EMEA at Firstup. "AI could help solve many of these challenges, but ironically, hourly workers who feel they would benefit most from AI are often the last to receive access. If organisations want to improve communication and drive critical business outcomes such as increased retention, productivity, and safety, they have to empower all employees with the right technology. "
The business impact of communication gaps is measurable and broad. Thirty-four percent of office-based employees and 37% of managers say they spend three or more hours a week searching for basic information they need to do their jobs. Miscommunication drives stress (39–49% across roles), productivity loss (32–38%), reduced teamwork (27–35%), missed policies (29–36%), and safety impacts (5–12%). More than one in five employees across roles say it makes them want to look for a new job.
Dive into the full report for detailed findings, generational insights, and actionable takeaways here. To learn more about the results live, join Firstup's upcoming webinar.
About Firstup
Firstup is the leading platform for intelligent communication and engagement that powers meaningful business outcomes. As a true "mission control" for workforce communications, Firstup is built for organisations with critically important frontline employees, delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. The platform enables hyper-personalised, data-driven journeys across channels (email, mobile, intranet, digital signage and more), bringing alignment, clarity and engagement to every level of the organisation.
With integrations to core HR, IT and business systems, Firstup reduces digital noise, surfaces actionable insights, strengthens employee experience and helps clients maximise productivity and retention. Trusted by large enterprises worldwide, Firstup transforms internal communication into measurable impact. Learn more at www.firstup.io.
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