Most workers struggle with workplace friction that prevents them from doing their best work, according to new research that surveyed more than 6,000 employees across six countries.
The study by Dayforce found that 88% of respondents experience friction in their work environment, including ineffective communication, overly complicated processes, and lack of resources. The research, conducted by Hanover Research from April to May 2025, included workers, managers, and executives from companies with at least 100 employees in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“Technology disruption and a fluid operating environment are creating friction across organizations, leading to frustrated employees and wasted time and resources,” said Steve Holdridge, President and Chief Operating Officer at Dayforce. “Tackling this complexity crisis requires reducing friction caused by poor communication, mismatched technology, and aligning worker skills with defined roles.”
The findings show that 78% of respondents agree that accomplishing work tasks takes too long because processes are too complicated. Additionally, 84% of respondents said they have faced organizational change in the past 12 months.
Four types of workplace friction
The research identified four main types of friction that organizations need to address:
Staffing friction: Nearly two-thirds of workers said that when someone calls in sick at their organization, there is often no one to cover their work. This creates significant problems: 51% of respondents said they feel burned out when there aren’t enough people to cover work, 41% said they can’t complete all their tasks, and 37% said they can’t do their best work.
Middle managers report that workforce scheduling (36%) and accurately forecasting labor needs (31%) are among their biggest workforce planning challenges. However, 93% of managers and executives said their organization uses contingent workers to help address staffing gaps.
Agility friction: More than half of respondents (51%) said they could add more value to their organization in a different role, but only 43% said their organization has a structured process for upskilling or reskilling employees.
The research revealed significant barriers to skill development, with 86% of executives and managers identifying obstacles in their organizations. However, there’s a disconnect between leadership and workers on skill development effectiveness: 85% of executives agree that skill development helps them add value, compared to only 54% of workers.
Change friction: With constant organizational change, effective communication becomes critical. Only 39% of respondents said their organization is good or very good at rolling out new processes or initiatives, and just 44% said their organization effectively communicates change.
The research found that 61% of executives believe employees in their organization resist change, but workers are 20% less likely to agree with this assessment, suggesting a perception gap between leadership and staff.
Technology friction: More than two-thirds of respondents (69%) said their organization uses too many technology platforms, while 66% agreed that adopting new technologies often reduces efficiency instead of improving it.
The top technology challenges include outdated systems (49%), technology not being used to its full potential (31%), and new technology taking too long to implement (28%). Only 43% of workers said they feel prepared when their organization rolls out new technology.
High-friction versus low-friction organizations
The research created an Organizational Friction Index to compare organizations with different friction levels. People in high-friction organizations were 44% more likely to say they don’t have adequate technology support and 34% more likely to feel unmotivated.
In contrast, employees in low-friction organizations were 30% less likely to resist change, 25% more likely to say there are no barriers to skill development, and 51% less likely to say they have too many technologies for getting work done.
Solutions for reducing friction
The research suggests five key areas for organizations to focus on:
- Increase workforce intelligence through modern workforce management solutions that provide better data for staffing decisions
- Provide growth opportunities by creating structured career development and internal mobility programs
- Improve change management and communications by moving beyond email to provide centralized information access
- Help people focus on meaningful work by reducing administrative tasks through AI-powered self-service technologies
- Simplify technology by consolidating bloated tech stacks into integrated solutions
