A lot of tools, software, and processes boast that they can increase workplace productivity. But that overlooks a key factor: people. That's because true productivity is only possible when the workforce is set up to succeed.
For employers, thinking less about the granular metrics of efficiency and more about boosting employee engagement can help teams be passionate about their work and inspired to perform.
Doing so also has a direct impact on a business’s bottom line. According to one recent study, 83 percent of US workers suffer from work-related stress, which can cost businesses up to $300 billion each year.
Conversely, engaged employees post productivity scores 14 percent higher than their counterparts. It’s clear, then, that organizations can help address productivity challenges by improving engagement through supportive solutions that aim to enhance employee wellbeing.
How employee health and wellbeing can be the solution to HR challengesLearn how supporting employee health and wellbeing can help employers solve common HR challenges including recruitment, absenteeism, productivity, and retention. |
Disengagement can take many forms in the workplace, but one of the most prevalent is called presenteeism. Unlike absenteeism, where employees don’t show up at all, presenteeism occurs when people come to work but aren’t in a space to be productive — mentally or physically.
Presenteeism can be common in organizations that don’t enable employees to take adequate time off to recover from illness, or don’t have a culture of shared trust and responsibility where employees feel they can reliably defer or delegate work. Flexible work schedules, however, can help curb presenteeism and increase employee engagement. A recent survey of desk workers and managers found that those with schedule flexibility reported 39 percent higher productivity and 64 percent stronger focus.
Employers know there’s a big difference between employees who are simply present physically and those who are truly present and engaged — and the financial impact is significant. Gallup discovered that each year in the United States, these disengaged employees cost the business economy as much as $500 billion, or $3,400 for every $10,000 of salary.
“Quiet quitting”, where employees have “quit” performing tasks outside of their basic job description, is related to presenteeism. Affecting almost 50 percent of the US workforce, it’s a strong indicator that changes need to be made to improve workplace mental health. One way is to foster community and prioritize employee engagement, which can help employees feel more valued within an organization and increase their sense of purpose.
Another way is to offer mental health support. This method can be more effective, as supporting mental health at work has the potential to drastically reduce disengagement — stress and burnout are directly related to mental health disorders and decreased productivity. Employees are starting to prioritize this support, too. A recent assessment from the TELUS Mental Health Index found that 27 percent of workers say better support for their wellbeing is more important than a 10 percent salary increase.
Engaged employees view the workplace as a space where they feel valued, validated, and respected. On the other hand, disengagement involves a lack of interest, motivation, and energy, which leads to substandard focus and effort. And research on engagement has actually found that a two-thirds majority of employees aren’t fully engaged.
Improved engagement starts with leadership. For employers and managers, that means establishing a relationship with employees based on a shared sense of purpose, and ensuring that people are equipped with the resources and opportunities to hone their skills, use their unique talents, and do their best work.
At the peer-to-peer level, teams within the organization need to have relationships based on mutual confidence, integrity, success, and trust. Not only does this empower employees to lean on each other when overcoming stress or recovering from a personal illness or issue, but it can also be transformative for the organization’s quality of service and reputation.
Ultimately, employees who are more engaged at work often feel a sense of ownership and accountability, and therefore tend to be more knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive, and this can have a positive knock-on effect across the entire company.
Of course, organizations can’t just mandate that employees be more productive. Instead, they have to institute a people-first culture and implement systems, processes, and incentives to empower productivity.
One way to do that is by enhancing employees’ sense of autonomy and control over their time. A 2023 survey by the American Psychiatric Association found that 32 percent of employees felt they didn’t have enough work flexibility to satisfactorily balance with their personal lives. Additionally, of those respondents who were content with the level of control over where, when, and how they work, 79 percent reported good or excellent mental health, compared to just 44 percent for those unsatisfied with their level of control.
It’s been well-established that a sense of freedom and independence can increase motivation and performance. This is further supported by an APA poll where 61 percent of the workforce ranked work-life balance and better personal wellbeing as “very important”.
Another way to increase employee productivity is by providing access to mental health support. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey:
Additionally, 55 percent of workers strongly (21 percent) or somewhat (34 percent) agreed that their employer thinks their workplace environment is a lot mentally healthier than it actually is. So for employers, it’s critical to listen to the workforce and take their requests seriously.
Continuity of care and a robust suite of mental, physical, and financial health solutions can help to meet employees where they are. TELUS Health can help organizations support their employees by offering a full suite of services and a vast network of professionals to care for employees, whether they are healthy, strained, or experiencing severe issues.
This gives employees direct access to tools, resources, and ancillary services to help boost their overall sense of balance and wellbeing at work, which in turn can help to improve overall employee engagement and productivity.
To learn more about how TELUS Health can support employee engagement and improve workplace productivity in your organization, contact us today.