【哈佛商业评论】紧张、悲伤和焦虑：全球劳动力的缩影

ManagingPeopleStressed,Sad,andAnxious:ASnapshotoftheGlobalWorkforcemoodboard/GettyImagesSummary.Gallup’snewdataontheglobalworkforcein2021revealsthatemployeesaroundtheworldareexperiencingstressatanall-time-highlevel,andandsadnessremainaboveprepandemiclevelsTheseemotionsareorganizationalrisks:Ifleaders...moreWhilesomeleadersmayfeellikethingsarebeginningtoreturntonormal,datafromGallup’snewStateoftheGlobalWorkplacereportsuggeststhattheemotionalsideofworkhasnothealedfromthepressuresofthelasttwoyears.Underthesurface,peoplearoundtheworldarestressedandanxious:44%ofemployeessaytheyexperiencedstressalotduringthepreviousday.Thesenegativeemotionsareatanewhigh.In2020,theworld’semployeessawanincreaseinstress,worry,anger,andsadness.In2021,worry,anger,andsadnessremainedabovepre-pandemiclevels,andstresscontinuedtoclimbtoanewhigh.Ifyou’reemployed,you’reprobablynotsurprised.Thelasttwoyearshavebeenstressfulaspeoplearoundtheworlddealtwithsocialisolation,economicshocks,educationdisruptions,andserioushealthproblems,includinglong-termillnessanddeath.EveninregionswhereCovid-19hasretreated,countrieshavebeendealingwithsupplyandlaborshortagesrelatedtothepandemic.Althoughtheseemotionsdon’tnormallyshowuponaspreadsheet,theyremainorganizationalrisks.Ifleadersaren’tpayingattentiontotheiremployees’wellbeing,they’relikelytobeblindsidedbytopperformerburnoutandhighquitrates.Here’showleaderscanchangetheirapproach:Thinkbeyondwellness.Mostlargeorganizationshavephysicalwellnessprograms.Butthesedon’talwaystakementalhealthandsocialrelationships—importantinfluencersofphysicalhealth—intoaccount.Inaddition,physicalwellnessfailstocapturethebroaderdimensionsofoverallwellbeing:social,financial,career,andcommunitywellbeing.Somecorporationshaveadoptedfewerhoursorofferedmoreflexibilitytoimproveemployeewellbeing.YetGallupresearchfromMarch2022foundthatfewerthanoneinfourU.S.employeesfeltstronglythattheiremployercaredabouttheirwellbeing—thelowestpercentageinnearlyadecade.Thisisanareainwhichallcompaniescangrow.Capturedataonemployeewellbeing.Wellbeingcanbemeasuredinascientificallyvalidway,anditcanbecorrelatedwithperformanceoutcomes.Whenleadershaveafingeronthepulseoftheiremployees’wellbeing,theycanidentifypotentialhotspots,discoverbestpractices,andvalidatewhichinitiativesareactuallymakingadifference.Makeemployeecareapermanentpartofyourculture.EmployeeengagementintheU.S.roseatthestartofthepandemic,whenemployersdecidedtocommunicate,listen,andoffersupportandflexibilitytoworkers.Asthepercentageofemployeeswhofeelthattheiremployercaresabouttheirwellbeinghasplummeted,theconsequencesreachbeyondtheabsenceofwarmfeelings.Theyincludelowerengagement,higherburnout,andmoreemployeeslookingfornewjobopportunitieselsewhere.Incontrast,Gallup’sresearchhasfoundthatteamswhofeeltheirorganizationcaresabouttheirwellbeingachievehighercustomerengagement,profitabilityandproductivity,lowerturnover,andfewersafetyincidents.Organizationsthatmakeemployeecarepartoftheirculturearededicatedtowellbeingforthelongterm.ThisstartsfromtheCEO’soffice,whoshouldcommunicatewhywellbeingmatters.Thebestworkplacesalsoequipmanagerstosupportwellbeing,developanetworkofwellbeingcoaches,andaudittheirwellbeingpracticesfortheirusefulnessandimpact.Therewassomepositivenewsinourdataaswell:Thirty-threepercentoftheworld’semployeesreportedthatthey’rethrivingatwork.Thismarksaone-percentage-pointrisefrom2020andthefourthstraightyearofimprovement.Organizationshavethepowerandresponsibilitytocareforthewholepersonatwork—andwhentheydo,theypromotethesuccessoftheentireorganization.Ofallthelessonslearnedfromthepandemic,thisoneshouldbenearthetopofthelist:Employeewellbeingiscrucialtoorganizationalhealth.Organizationscan’tfunctioneffectively—letalone,adapt,compete,andwin—withstrugglingandsufferingworkers.Employeewellbeingisariskandanopportunitythatleaderscan’taffordtoignore.HYPERLINK"/search?term=ryan%20pendell&search_type