Transforming the Council Discourse: Moving Past Wellness Perks: An Innovative Strategy for Overcoming Employee Exhaustion
Employee engagement might seem like a breeze with foosball tables and pizza days, but the reality is far from it. Over the past decade, we've seen these perks rise in popularity, but employee stress, sadness, anxiety, and burnout have also skyrocketed. The United Nations Development Programme reports that these feelings are at their highest levels since Gallup began tracking them a decade ago.
Despite the growing number of wellness perks, stress and burnout remain at an all-time high. Something's not adding up, and it's time to ditch the conventional approach to employee well-being.
That's where I come in, as the CMO/Head of Growth at Insightful. I believe that the most effective strategy to tackle burnout and disengagement is one that challenges the norms most leaders adopt.
The Engagement Puzzle
Employee burnout and disengagement is a significant issue plaguing today's workplace. In a poll we conducted at Insightful, we found some astounding statistics:
• 92% of employers consider lost disengagement an alarming problem.• 68% of employees report feeling burnt out in the past year.• 44% of employees are contemplating leaving their job within the next six months due to stress.
The complexity of addressing burnout stems from its subjective nature. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella summed up this complication: "85% of managers believe their employees are slacking off, while 85% of employees believe they are working too hard." This disconnect highlights the need for a rethought approach to employee well-being.
Profit and People
The financial impact of disengagement on organizations is staggering. Gallup found that employee disengagement costs an annual $8.8 trillion. What adds to this challenge is that disengagement often goes unspoken, silently eroding performance.
It's time for a change in leadership perspective, moving beyond wellness perks and focusing on the fundamentals of how work is structured to promote well-being.
Redefining Employee Well-Being
Companies today offer a wide range of wellness perks, such as personal days, gym memberships, and counseling services. While these efforts demonstrate a commitment to supporting employee engagement and well-being, stress remains at an all-time high.
As leaders, we must fundamentally rethink how we approach employee well-being. Instead of treating it as an afterthought or reacting to stress, we must consider well-being as an inherent part of work. To genuinely address the issue of employee burnout and disengagement, we need to measure, support, and manage employee well-being as integral to daily work activity.
A New Engagement Equation
Traditional methods rely on wellness perks that exist outside of work itself. To effectively address burnout, I propose a new approach, which I call the New Engagement Equation. Built on four key pillars, this equation embeds engagement directly into the structure of work.
Balanced Workloads
Examining workloads to identify teams that are overloaded while others may be underutilized is crucial for maintaining individual well-being and organizational performance.
Efficient Workflows
Analyzing the efficiency of workflows to identify best practices can help teams complete tasks more effectively, reducing frustration or friction.
Work Flexibility
By allowing team members to work when and where they want while maintaining accountability, work flexibility can significantly improve employee engagement.
An Accurate Feedback Mechanism
Effectively addressing burnout requires data. Utilize internal data, such as comparing expected outcomes with actual outcomes, to identify areas for improvement.
It's Time for a Change
To win in the future, companies will need to move beyond foosball tables and pizza days to redefine how work itself is done. By focusing on balanced workloads, efficient workflows, work flexibility, and data-driven feedback, leaders can foster workplaces that promote well-being and business success.
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Despite Nenad Lazarevic's efforts to challenge traditional approaches to employee well-being at Insightful, the company's poll revealed that 68% of employees reported feeling burnt out in the past year and 44% considered leaving their jobs due to stress. These discrepancies between the company's wellness perks and employee experiences highlight the need for a more comprehensive strategy to address burnout.
In his role as the CMO/Head of Growth at Insightful, Nenad has proposed the New Engagement Equation, a four-pillar approach that focuses on balanced workloads, efficient workflows, work flexibility, and data-driven feedback. This shift away from conventional wellness perks aims to embed engagement directly into the structure of work, promoting both employee well-being and business success.
As more companies grapple with the financial and emotional impacts of employee burnout, Nenad encourages executive leaders to consider joining the Our Website Communications Council to exchange insights and best practices with other industry professionals committed to fostering workplaces that promote well-being and success.
