3 Ways to Boost Accountability for Employee Well-Being
Dan Schawbel
LinkedIn Top Voice, New York Times Bestselling Author, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, Led 80+ Workplace Research Studies
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Over the past few years, employee well-being has remained a top priority for most organizations. Leaders are finally paying attention to workers’ mental health struggles, they’re putting measures in place to help employees maintain their work-life balance, and many have enhanced their support for caregivers and parents.
With all of these initiatives and investments, you might think that workforce well-being would have begun to improve by now. However, new research from my company, Workplace Intelligence, and Deloitte — surveying 3,150 C-suite executives, managers, and employees across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia — finds that this isn’t the case.
In fact, most of the workers we surveyed say their health worsened or stayed the same last year; only around one-third say their health improved. To make matters worse, the C-suite appears to be almost completely in the dark about the state of employee well-being. More than 3 out of 4 executives inaccurately believe that their workforce’s well-being improved.
For employees, work is largely to blame for their worsening health. Nearly three-quarters (74%) say they struggle to take time off or disconnect from work. Less than half report that they regularly get enough exercise and sleep, and have enough time for friends and family. And when it comes to the obstacles people say are getting in the way of improving their well-being, a heavy workload, stressful job, and long work hours topped the list.?
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Leaders may be wondering what it will take to finally make progress on this important issue, and the answer might be looking back at them in the mirror. That’s because one of the key findings from our research was that a strong focus on accountability will be key to moving the needle on workforce well-being — including leadership accountability.
Companies will also need to put the right mechanisms in place to drive this accountability, including measuring and disclosing their workforce well-being metrics. This will be challenging for some organizations — there’s a very real risk of reputational harm or embarrassment if companies can’t turn things around for their people. But I believe that taking more ownership around matters of health is the only way forward.
In today’s article, I’ll discuss 3 ways to make your organization more accountable for employee well-being, supported by the findings from my new study with Deloitte.
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Helping leaders in entrepreneurial organizations to align talent, foster accountability, transform culture, and build powerful companies with a unique focus on PEOPLE. SYSTEMS. RESULTS.
1 年A lack of accountability can erode the trust employees have in their leaders. Trust, once lost, is challenging to rebuild. When employees don't trust their leaders, they become less engaged, less committed, and may stop taking their responsibilities seriously. The overall performance and output of the organization suffer, leading to broader issues like higher turnover rates, decreased employee satisfaction, and ultimately, reduced profitability. The accountability gap has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond just individual reputations. It's about the collective health of an organization. Therefore, leaders need to prioritize accountability not just for their sake but for the greater good of their teams and the organizations they lead.
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1 年Thank you for sharing these profound insights. The research conducted by Workplace Intelligence and Deloitte undoubtedly sheds light on a concerning reality that many organizations face today. It's striking to see such a wide chasm between the C-suite's perceptions and the actual well-being of the workforce. Your point about leadership accountability in ensuring workforce well-being is crucial. True well-being goes beyond superficial measures and requires a deep-rooted commitment from leadership. The concept that genuine accountability, especially from those in positions of power, can be the lynchpin in making substantive progress is both intuitive and backed by your research. The emphasis on measuring and disclosing workforce well-being metrics is a pivotal idea. By having tangible, transparent metrics, organizations can not only gauge the effectiveness of their well-being initiatives but also build trust with their employees. When employees see measurable action and concern for their well-being, it can lead to increased morale and productivity.
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1 年This sounds a lot like Employee Engagement by another name. ??
Pre-final year student at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur || Mechanical Engineering
1 年This research sheds light on the concerning reality that despite increased attention on employee well-being, there's still a significant gap between organizational efforts and actual improvements. It emphasizes the need for leaders to take accountability and implement mechanisms to measure and disclose well-being metrics. This highlights the importance of fostering a culture of transparency and proactive action within organizations to truly prioritize and address employee well-being.
Global Communications Executive | Investor Relations | Stakeholder Engagement | IPO | C-Suite and BOD Advisor
1 年Fascinating work, Dan. As I talk to professional friends they're often saying that the silo'd work is a major contributor to lack of employee engagement. It is a time to come together and create unity on purpose and contribution. More case studies and stories of what is working in our now remote/hybrid world will be welcome. From your study, this struck me as particularly notable, "Fortunately, a vast majority (94%) of the C-suite admit they could use help. Around half (51%) say it would be beneficial if they could align their efforts with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals or Environmental, Social, and Governance standards, and 45% would welcome an executive training program focused on human sustainability. Others note that support from internal and external experts would be helpful (41% and 39%, respectively), and 38% would like to see examples of how other companies are focusing on human sustainability."