Thriving At Work – The Importance Of Employee Wellbeing In India

Employee wellbeing has emerged as a key concern for organisations in the post-pandemic job landscape. However, employers in India are failing to address this critical issue, according to the findings of a Forrester survey. The survey, commissioned by Indeed, reveals that the vast majority of employees in India are dissatisfied, stressed out, and not thriving at work. This blog post will explore the key findings of the survey and try to highlight the implications for employers and recruiters.

A Brief Overview Of The Work Wellbeing In India 2023 Report

In March 2023, Indeed commissioned the Forrester Consulting Group to conduct a global survey of employees to gauge the current state of workplace wellbeing. The Indian subsection of the survey involved 2,132 employees spread across a wide range of income, education, and experience levels.

The objective was to measure employee wellbeing statistics and identify their impact on metrics like job performance, workplace productivity, and employee retention levels within organisations.

Employees with higher wellbeing are considered to be ‘thriving at work’. According to the University of Oxford Wellness Research Centre, such employees have the following defining characteristics or experiences – high levels of job satisfaction, low levels of work-related stress, high levels of positivity/happiness, and a clear sense of purpose in their role at the organisation.

Very Few Employees Are Thriving At Work In India (Or The World)

The biggest takeaway from the Forrester survey is that only 24 percent of employees in Indian organisations experience high levels of wellbeing at their workplaces. More than three-quarters of all the workers in Indian businesses reported low levels of wellbeing.

For employers seeking to maximise productivity and employee engagement, these numbers should come as a wake-up call. According to Gallup, poor employee wellbeing costs organisations around the globe an estimated $322 billion through increased medical costs, productivity losses, and high turnover.

However, employers can take some solace from the fact that low workplace wellbeing is not unique to India. This is a global problem. The survey results indicate that Indian organisations are almost on par with the global average of thriving employees – 25 percent.

Poor Wellness Is Often A Sign Of Leadership Issues

All businesses have a moral, ethical, and legal obligation to provide safe and healthy workplaces to their employees. The actions, decisions, and policies put in place by the leadership play a decisive role in setting the tone of workplace interactions and overall organisational culture.

In the Forrester survey, over 67 percent of employees held their employers responsible for the creation and maintenance of safe and happy workplaces. Characteristics of such workplaces include a feeling of inclusivity, acceptance, respectful interactions, and the presence of supportive managers.

An overwhelming majority (93 percent) of thriving employees reported having managers who displayed empathetic leadership skills and opted to lead their teams by example. But such instances are few and far between if major studies of workplace culture in India are anything to go by.

For instance, a McKinsey Health study flagged alarming levels of workplace stress and mental health issues in Indian office workers, putting the blame squarely on toxic culture and leadership practices related to hustle culture.

The employees surveyed by Forrester concur, with 69 percent reporting that the senior leadership in their organisations expected people to take on more work outside their stated responsibilities. Vice labels this as India's ‘toxic hustle culture’.

Recruiters Face A Generational Challenge With Gen-Z

The Forrester survey results also reveal a clear generational shift in the attitudes of employees toward wellness. There are fewer thriving employees from the Gen-Z cohort of 18 to 26-year-olds (20 percent) when compared to the older Millennials (24 percent) and Gen-X (27 percent).

The older employees also express more trust in their employers' ability to prioritise employee wellness. Only 67 percent of Gen-Z shared that level of optimism regarding the altruistic capabilities of their employers. With Millennials and Gen-X, the figures reported were 78 percent and 74 percent.

This divide presents significant challenges for HR and recruitment managers, since over 88 percent of employees in India would prefer to work with companies that pay attention to the feelings and aspirations of their staff.

Among the non-thriving employees, 40 percent don't have any plans to stay in their current jobs for more than a year. They make up around 30 percent of the total workforce, which is nearly triple the upper limit of a ‘healthy’ employee turnover rate for most sectors.

Key Takeaways For Businesses Looking To Improve Employee Wellness

The Great Resignation trend from 2021 has already laid bare the disadvantages of a toxic workplace culture. You can no longer rely on salary to keep people interested in working for your organisation. Modern employees, particularly Gen-Z, demand more concrete effort from employers.

Listening to the demands and aspirations of your staff is the ideal starting point. There is a growing demand for better work-life balance, through flexible working arrangements and hybrid work. Employers also need to tone down their expectations regarding ‘hustle culture’.

Managers can have an oversized impact on employee wellness and satisfaction levels. According to the Harvard Business Review, individuals with an empathetic, collaborative management style can significantly boost employee satisfaction levels and reduce attrition. With ever-widening talent gaps in critical sectors like IT and software engineering, employers in India cannot afford to ignore employee wellbeing. For further insights and effective strategies to elevate employee wellbeing, see what six experts have to say on the topic right here on Indeed Insights.