We can’t know the long-term effect of major events while they are happening.
That’s always been true, from world wars to economic collapse.
The pandemic that we are – hopefully – emerging from is no different.
The data is just starting to come in on how the last year has changed us. When it comes to the workplace, we have a new set of data. It comes from a familiar source – the Gallup organization.
Every year Gallup produces a State of the Global Workplace report and the 2021 edition has some telling data on the effects of the pandemic on employees and our businesses.
My takeaway reinforces a lesson that we teach every day. It’s that you can’t have a remarkable customer experience without a remarkable team experience. Here’s some points from the report:
- The percentage of workers globally who are fully engaged in their jobs dropped 2 percentage points to 20 percent. You’ve probably heard us talk about his number in the past, and it was steadily increasing, until the pandemic. Fortunately, in the United States that number is higher and ticked up one point to 34 percent.
- There was a significant economic effect on individual budgets. Fifty percent of workers in the United States and Canada said the pandemic affected them “a lot.” Breaking that down, 13 percent lost a job or business; 38 percent had to stop working temporarily; and 33 percent lost pay.
- The economics stressed our daily lives, with 48 percent of Americans and Canadians reporting daily worry, 57 percent saying they have daily stress and 26 percent feeling daily sadness. These numbers are all substantial increases over the previous year.
Those are the big numbers. But what does it mean for us as business leaders and managers?
People are freaked out. The threats to livelihood – and in some cases life – are real. And as people transition back to in-person work, they are bringing that baggage with them.
It’s an emotional experience, not necessarily a logical one.
Logic would tell us that going back to the office, even a couple days a week, shouldn’t be that different than it was in 2019. Emotion, however, is a different set of standards.
If you got used to interacting with your dog all day, and were comforted by that, you might not want to give it up. You might be thinking, “Hey, there are other employers out there who will let me stay at home.”
Companies must deal with those emotions.
Going back to my takeaway about the team experience serving the customer experience. If someone on your team comes back to the office full time and doesn’t engage fully because they miss their dog, engagement will suffer. When employee engagement suffers then business suffers.
That’s reinforced by Gallup.
What the report stresses is that going forward mental health – and employees’ overall wellness – are more important than ever. Not just as human beings and members of society but as vital considerations for the success of your company.
“Physical health, loneliness, financial hardship and community support, among other factors, affect the involvement, enthusiasm and productivity of workers in both good times and bad,” the report states. “Successful corporations of the future not only will generate profits, but also will generate thriving employees who are capable of weathering crises.”
How do you do that?
Training and development, which is what we do at FiveFour.
That’s understating it. It’s not just what we do. It’s what we eat, breathe and sleep.
Again, it’s reinforced by Gallup.
“As you look ahead to the future of work, we challenge you to reevaluate how you treat, train, coach and develop your employees,” the report says.
Drop me a note to start building your team’s wellness and resilience today.