The Workplace Well-Being Imperative: Unpacking Deloitte’s Findings (Part 2)
The Workplace Well-Being Imperative: Unpacking Deloitte’s Findings (Part 2)
Written by: Paula Antalffy 4-5 minute read
In part 2 of this blog, we continue our exploration of Deloitte’s survey findings, focusing on three pivotal factors—leadership, work design, and ways of working—that profoundly influence workplace well-being.
We also delve into actionable steps businesses can implement today to foster a culture of well-being.
A New Direction in Organisational Culture
Deloitte’s survey, looked to identify specific, actionable factors of a workplaces day-to-day culture and organisation, that has a direct impact on wellbeing outside of benefits. They broke out their survey findings into 3 key trends.
Trend 1: Effects of Leadership
Effective leadership plays a crucial role in shaping workplace culture and employee well-being. There are a plethora of ways that manager behaviour and style affect day-to-day life for team members.
Micro- and Undermanagement
Both over- and undermanagement are identified as pain points, with variations across generations. Millennials report higher instances of micromanagement (17%) compared to Generation Z and baby boomers (10% and 7%, respectively). Gen Z workers express dissatisfaction with leaders providing insufficient developmental feedback.
Recognition
Recognition is valued across demographics and industries, particularly by older employees. Nearly 17% of workers aged 50 and above appreciated leaders who acknowledged their hard work and achievements. Workers appreciate leaders who acknowledge their efforts, contributing to a positive work environment.
Interestingly, the same age disparity can be seen in the importance of recognition, with 27% of individuals aged 50 and above emphasising its significance compared to 15% among those under 25.
Empathy and Psychological Safety
Building trust through empathy and psychological safety is critical for high-performing teams. Emotional intelligence and empathy are crucial, especially in hybrid work environments, ranking as the most important factor in Deloitte’s survey.
Opportunities for Cultural Change In Leadership
Deloitte also highlights a few key areas where businesses can begin their shift to more ‘well-being centric’ leadership.
Embedding Team Well-being in Performance Reviews: Consider team well-being as a core competency in evaluating leaders' performance.
Utilising Well-being Data: Collect and share direct-report well-being data to identify potential burnout indicators.
Modelling Well-being Behaviours: Leaders should exemplify well-being practices to set a positive tone for their teams.
Encouraging Transparent Communication: Foster open discussions at all levels to address individual needs and concerns.
Promoting Understanding of Working Styles: Encourage employees to understand and share their working styles for better collaboration.
Providing Training on Empathy and Psychological Safety: Offer training to enhance managers' emotional intelligence and promote a psychologically safe workplace.
Innovative Recognition Practices: Implement creative recognition methods beyond monetary rewards to boost morale.
Trend 2: Impact from Design of Work
The design of work significantly impacts employee well-being and productivity. Deloitte’s survey identified key areas within ways of working that are detrimental to both of these areas.
Being Overburdened:
According to Deloitte’s survey, there’s a prevailing sentiment among leadership indicating that progressing in the hierarchy often results in reduced time doing meaningful work.
Heavy workloads and job stress hinder employees from taking time off, affecting their well-being. This observation is supported by a 2022 C-Suite study conducted by Deloitte, where 30% of surveyed workers reported not taking paid time off due to the heavy workload and stress.
Lack of Career Growth:
About 23% of respondents highlight the negative impact of limited growth opportunities on their well-being. Employees desire ample chances for skill development and learning new things, particularly those from disadvantaged groups.
Finding Work Meaningless:
Workers express dissatisfaction with roles lacking opportunities for innovation and leveraging strengths. The survey revealed that the primary concern for Gen Z workers was the lack of time for innovation and creativity.
Respondents aged 65 and older highlighted that their main issue was engaging in work that did not enable them to utilise their strengths or feel a sense of meaning.
Opportunities for Cultural Change In Ways of Working
Reevaluate Meeting Structures: Reduce unnecessary meetings to free up time for meaningful tasks.
Promote Unstructured Time: Encourage employees to carve out unstructured time for creativity and innovation.
Redesign Organisational Structure: Consider restructuring with clear governance and decision-making processes to enhance efficiency.
Emphasise Mentoring: Incorporate mentoring expectations into leadership roles to facilitate career growth.
Encourage Less Prescriptive Work: Design roles with flexibility and room for experimentation to support continuous learning.
Match Skills and Interests with Roles: Align job assignments with employees' skills and interests to increase job satisfaction.
Connect Tasks to a Greater Purpose: Emphasise the significance of everyday tasks by highlighting their contribution to organisational goals.
Trend 3: Ways for Working Issues
The methods, expectations, and behaviours surrounding work can be overwhelming, leading to negative impacts on employee well-being.
Being Always On:
Constant connectivity through technology blurs the boundaries between work and personal life. Women and workers under 50 are particularly susceptible to feeling always on, leading to negative mood and decreased well-being.
Age correlates inversely with the feeling of always being on, suggesting a generational difference in perception.
Task-Switching:
Excessive use of productivity tools and digital platforms leads to frequent task-switching, causing distraction and fatigue. Research indicates individuals switch screens an average of 566 times a day, affecting productivity and well-being across demographics.
Lack of Control Over Work Methods
Flexibility in work arrangements can enhance well-being, but its effectiveness depends on organisational support. Remote or hybrid work setups may not necessarily improve well-being if organisational culture does not align with flexibility initiatives.
An Alternative Approach to Workplace Wellbeing
In today's landscape, leadership confronts more pressure to meet the expectations of their current and prospective workforce. For leaders, the transition towards a more comprehensive approach to workplace wellness, which entails greater ownership and responsibility from employers, can be intimidating.
However, amid the challenges of modern workplaces, cutting-edge solutions are available to provide guidance. myday, an app emerging within this new market, offers solutions for businesses that recognise the intertwined nature of preventative health and corporate social responsibility.
Already undergoing trials with some of the world's best businesses, myday is embraced by leaders who acknowledge that an employee value proposition must transcend mere rhetoric displayed on office walls.
Here are several key features driving the shift towards a more effective approach to workplace wellness within prominent tech businesses:
Gamified Daily Activities: Employees are incentivized to complete small daily tasks that prioritise both planetary and personal health. By engaging in wellness tasks, participating in peer-to-peer support groups, sending kudos, completing step challenges, and more, users earn Planet Points with tangible monetary value.
Consequently, team members receive real-life donations from their employer, to meaningful causes as they invest time in their wellness journey. Users can track the exact amount their organisation contributes to these causes.
Building Community: Within the myday app, the community section is focused on bringing together like minded individuals, of similar lived experience, to support each other. Both intra- and inter-company groups are curated and moderated to establish safe environments where individuals can connect over shared life experiences, whether it's parenting, caregiving, fitness enthusiasts, LGBTQ+ advocacy, or exchanging advice on women's health.
Additionally, this tab enables users to celebrate each other by sending kudos and facilitates connections with experts across various fields, catering to employees’ diverse interests and aspirations.
Sharing Essential Information and Benefits: myday offers a unified platform for sharing crucial information to teams. This includes updates on policies, health and safety regulations, available courses, and more. The platform also streamlines access to company benefits and support services, all conveniently located within a single tab in the application.
Pulse Surveys and Wellness Questionnaires: Leadership can create customisable surveys to gauge key wellness metrics among their teams. Additionally, individuals have the option to share personal wellness data, such as sleep patterns, daily activity levels, and screen time, enabling them to gain insights into their habits.
Content Library: myday boasts an extensive library featuring hundreds of resources categorised into four key areas: Feel, Eat, Connect, and Move. Users can also curate their own libraries and save resources relevant to their needs.
Want to learn more about myday and how we can help elevate your wellness strategy to the next level? Book a call with our team today!
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