Workplace Enjoyment is a key factor in retaining both Office and Deskless workers!
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
?? Enjoying work matters even more for retention of deskless workers than it does of office workers.
? Employees dedicated to their roles spend nearly eight hours each week on laborious tasks, balanced by 18 hours of fulfilling work.
?? The risk of attrition is 86% higher for those whose income fails to meet their living expenses, compared to those whose income does (54% versus 29%).
?? Overall, individual contributors find less enjoyment in their work tasks compared to managers, according to a new interesting research published by 波士顿谘询公司 using data ?? from 1764 employees (workers and deskless) from two different surveys conducted in the fall of 2023 and in my 2024.
?Who are deskless workers?
Researchers have identified a category of workers known as 'deskless,' who do not have a traditional office and must be physically present at their jobs -make up roughly 80% of the global workforce. This category includes nurses, doctors, stock clerks, cashiers, delivery drivers, and factory workers, accounting for an estimated 2.7 billion workers globally.
?Who is looking for a new job?
Researchers have observed that within the deskless workforce, younger employees, those with shorter tenures, and individuals from more diverse backgrounds are the most likely to be seeking new job opportunities.
?Individual contributors enjoy work tasks less than managers
Researchers found that overall, individual contributors enjoy work tasks less than managers.
Managers experience higher average joy scores compared to individual contributors across various tasks, including:
?? Mentoring & Coaching
?? Client Interaction
?? Affiliation & Culture
?? Professional development
?? Overseeing work
?? Physical & Manual labor
?? Quality, safety & Compliance
?? Inventory & logistics
?? Maintenance & repair
领英推荐
?? Admin
?Average hours looking for a new job
Researchers noticed that deskless workers who are committed to staying in their jobs (not looking for new work) spend nearly eight hours (or one day) per week on toil when they looked at the average joy/toil weekly breakdown. It is important to highlight that these eight hours are offset by 18 hours of joyful work—a roughly 1:2 ratio.
Office-based workers appear to have a lower “toil tolerance,” allowing only four hours of toil per week, alongside 14 hours of joy (a roughly 1:4 ratio) before they start looking for new opportunities.
?Enjoyment can cut workers attrition
Researchers discovered that increasing enjoyment can reduce attrition among deskless workers by 62%, compared to 49% for office workers.
?? Similar to office workers, the highest attrition risk is seen among younger employees, those with shorter tenures, and individuals from more diverse backgrounds.
Among respondents who identified with at least one diversity factor, those with disabilities and those who identified as LGBTQ+ reported the lowest levels of overall joy (72% and 78%, respectively, compared to an average of 84%) and the highest attrition risk (52% and 50%, respectively, compared to an average of 41%).
?? Finally researchers conclude that their research shows how important it is to make work enjoyable, it’s important to bear in mind that joy at work is not a panacea, and it cannot offset the attrition risk associated with economic insecurity.
?? ???? ???????????????? ????????:
This fascinating research by BCG highlights that a significant portion of work is neither joyful nor toilful. It underscores the importance of joyful work in retaining employees, emphasizing that managers should strive to create a joyful work environment for their teams. Business and line leaders, rather than HR, should take ownership and prioritize redesigning work to enhance employee enjoyment without compromising efficiency and effectiveness.
??Thank you 波士顿谘询公司 researchers team for sharing these insightful findings: Debbie Lovich and Gabrielle Giessen
?? Follow me as a LinkedIn Top Voice on LinkedIn (+40 000) , and click the ?? at the top of my profile page to stay on top of the latest on new best?HR, People Analytics, Human Capital and Future of Work research, become more effective in your HR function and support your business, and join the conversation on my posts.
???Join?more than 20,000+ people and subscribe to receive my Weekly People Research
Everyday, I share a new research article about?People Analytics, Human Capital, HR analytics, Human Resources, Talent,…
?? I advocate for a higher employee productivity & empowerment | Founder @AlbiCoins | 15+ Projects for Global Corp ?? Team Project contests, Incentive programs, Rewards -- ?? DM for demo.
1 周I completely agree that joy in work tasks can’t replace the need for economic security, but it does serve as a meaningful tool in reducing turnover, especially when combined with fair compensation. Leaders who can successfully integrate enjoyment into the flow of work (and not just extra perks) will likely have stronger, more committed teams.
Human Resource Professional | MBA | Coporate Recruiting Professional- ASA | Ex-Wirtgen Group,A John Deere Company
2 周Fantastic research! One noteworthy perspective is the importance of enjoyment in helping deskless workers balance job demands with the economic realities they face. It’s not just about alleviating toil; it’s also about fostering pathways for enjoyment and growth. Deskless employees often lack the same resources and opportunities for professional development as their office-based peers, necessitating tailored strategies to enhance their job satisfaction. By offering them increased responsibility alongside mentorship and professional development opportunities similar to those available to managers, organizations can significantly boost morale. Also, when joy-driven initiatives are paired with fair pay, benefits, and career advancement opportunities, a more stable environment emerges for the workforce. As we move forward, let’s challenge the status quo and commit to creating workplaces where every worker, regardless of their desk status, feels valued and fulfilled. Thank you for sharing these valuable insights!
Strategic and Purpose Driven Operations Leadership | Process Improvement | Project Management | Team Development | Operational Excellence | SaaS Implementation | Financial Acumen | Service Delivery Enhancement
3 周I’d like to humbly add my two cents—not as a top influencer or HR expert, but from my personal experience on both sides of the manager/non-manager relationship. While pay is, of course, critical, I’ve found that, for myself and for those I’ve managed over the years, a true sense of enjoyment at work often comes from feeling empowered, valued, and having transparency in communication. Thank you, Nicolas, for such an insightful post!
Lead consultant in HR Strategy & Value Management. Enhancing Value through Human Performance. Delivery of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training. Lecturer and International Speaker on HRM and Value Management.
3 周Another insightful post Nicolas. I agree that people need to have a 'living' wage whereby their bills and living costs are covered by their income. With regard to 'enjoyment' in the workplace, much of this will come down to the culture within the organisation. An inclusive culture where people are able to communicate and collaborate is essential. However, it not just about communication and collaboration between colleagues, it is also about trust in that there will be mutual communication and collaboration between those in leadership positions and the workforce as a whole. Domnic Nicklaus has summed this up quite nicely in his comment. Thank you for sharing another thought-provoking piece of research Nicolas.
People Business Partner | HRBP | People Operations Manager | Talent Management | RRHH | P&C | área Manager
3 周Nicolas BEHBAHANI Interesting study that highlights something so essential for talent retention, such as emotional connection and enjoyment at work, beyond just defining responsibilities and objectives. Leaders must strategically address job satisfaction as a driver to boost retention.