5 Things That Will Drastically Improve How Workers Feel About Their Jobs

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Ever wonder about the ideal employee experience -- the kind that leads to high performance and creates happy workers? And what actually?drives?these positive work experiences?

Thanks to a?global study ?involving more than 23,000 employees in 45 countries across different industries from a few years back, we have the answers.

Researchers looked at the literature to find the perceptions that employees have about their experiences at work. This massive finding led researchers to construct the?Employee Experience Index ?for measuring what they found to be the five core facets of positive employee experience:

1. Belonging?- feeling part of a team, group, or organization.

2. Purpose?- understanding why one's work matters.

3. Achievement?- a sense of accomplishment in the work that is done.

4. Happiness?- the pleasant feeling arising in and around work.

5. Vigor?- the presence of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement at work.

Employees who experience all five are more likely to perform at higher levels, contribute "above and beyond" expectations, and are also less likely to quit.

But here's what really drove it home for me: Employees with more positive experiences at work reported significantly higher levels of discretionary effort. In fact,?the study?indicates, "discretionary effort is almost twice more likely to be reported when employee experience is positive (95 percent compared to 55 percent)."

The Power of Discretionary Effort

If you're new to the concept of discretionary effort, it's something every company needs to release within their workforce for competitive advantage.

Here it is: When leaders create the conditions for a positive employee experience, the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals hits another stratosphere. This is important because when employees are emotionally committed, they?give discretionary effort.

In other words, people will go above and beyond typical job responsibilities, they will go the extra mile, and you can see discretionary effort in any organization, at any level, whether you're the janitor sweeping the floors or the VP developing floorplans. It's a real thing, and it's something you can see and measure.

The Million Dollar Question

So, what can you do to improve the employee experience and release discretionary effort?

Well, not surprisingly, it all starts with leaders and managers setting the stage. They need to provide clear direction and support that will drive human workplace practices that create the employee experience.

The study found six things that must be in place on a consistent basis:

1. Organizational trust

Employees increasingly expect to trust their organizations to be responsible and act with integrity. When those expectations are met, 83 percent of respondents describe a positive employee experience, 46 percentage points higher than when those expectations are unmet.

2. Co-worker relationships

The?study?found that when supportive co-worker relationships are present, it drives a positive work experience. In fact, employees report a "much more positive employee experience than when that support is absent (77 percent compared to 35 percent)."

3. Meaningful work

When employees agree their work is consistent with the organization's core values, 80 percent report a more positive employee experience (compared to 29 percent who do not agree). When employees agree their job makes good use of their skills and abilities, 81 percent report a more positive employee experience (compared to 41 percent who did not agree).

4. Recognition, feedback and growth

When feedback and recognition of performance, as well as opportunities for professional development and growth are met, the positive employee experience soars. The?study?reveals, "Eighty-three percent of employees who receive recognition of their performance, and 80 percent of those receiving feedback, reported a positive employee experience, compared to 38 and 41 percent who did not."

5. Empowerment and voice

When employees feel their ideas and suggestions matter, they are more than twice as likely to report a positive employee experience than those who don't (83 percent versus 34 percent). A similar pattern emerged among employees who have the freedom to decide how to do their work (79 percent versus 42 percent).

6. Work-life Balance

More positive employee experiences are also associated with employees' flexibility to manage their work and other aspects of their lives. When employees agree their work schedule is flexible enough for them to meet family/personal responsibilities, 79 percent report a more positive employee experience (versus 48 percent who disagree).

Your turn: Of all the strategies listed, and at a time when the quit rate is the highest we've seen in decades, what should leaders do more of? Leave a comment and let's learn from one another.

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Guest: Jen Fisher , Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte, bestselling Author, ???????? ???????????? ????????????????

On episode #112 of the Love in Action Podcast , Jen Fisher and I had a great conversation about how leaders can prioritize well-being so that we -- and our workforce-- can be at our best in both our professional and personal lives. Jen is Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte, where she evolved the health and wellness program into a first-of-its-kind holistic and inclusive well-being strategy. In her role, she drives the strategy and innovation around work, life, health, and wellness. Jen is the co-author of the bestselling book, “Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines. ” You will get great, practical insights from this episode.

Listen now: Web | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Download

5 Take-Aways from This Episode

• Resilience: Jen shares her experience as a working employee going through chemotherapy and the valuable lesson she learned in those difficult times.
• The Dark Side of Tech: “We’ve adopted all this technology, but we haven’t adapted to it very well,” Jen claims. “The technology is using us, not the other way around. … It’s more about how we, as human beings, choose to use it in our lives that has a negative impact. Our society has become this ‘always on 24/7, constantly connected’ society.”
• Humanizing the Workplace: Empathy, compassion, authenticity, and emotional intelligence play a key role in the future of work because they cannot be replicated by machines or AI. Instead of fearing that technology is going to put us out of work, we should be celebrating that we can focus on humanizing the workplace.

• Trust as the Ultimate Competitive Advantage: Marcel asks Jen what organizations can do to maximize their employees’ well-being, to decrease burnout, and increase engagement and productivity. “The area you want to get to is trusted teams, which value human connection, relationships, and individual well-being,” she responds. “You achieve that through creating a culture of psychological safety, where people feel like they can show up as their authentic selves and ask for what they need.”
• Build Up Your Essential Skills: Soft skills are not soft; they're the essential skill set of the future. They can and need to be learned, taught, and brought into organizations by leaders who are tuned into them. These organizations are the ones that will truly thrive, Jen comments.

Listen now: Web | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Download

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An invitation for senior leaders looking to develop their management teams

I have created the ‘From Boss to Leader ’ course to teach?new and emerging?leaders/managers?the leadership skills they need to succeed in post-pandemic times. Watch this?2-minute video ?to see if it may be right for your management team. Then I invite you to?book a 15-minute call with me ?so I can personally hear your organizational and leadership challenges and offer some free advice.

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About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes ?is a global speaker, leadership expert, executive coach, author,?podcast host , and?syndicated columnist ?with a worldwide following. He teaches emerging leaders the skills to build great work cultures where people and businesses flourish.