The Surprising Key to Productivity

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Americans are finding it hard to stay engaged at work.

Statistics from Gallup's 2023 U.S. employee engagement survey wherein each percentage point gain or drop in enagagement respresented approximately 1.6 million full - or part-time employees in the Iited States- found that 34% of full- and partime employees in the U.S. ere enagaged in their work and workspace by midyear. That was a 6% drop - or approximately 9.6 million employees- from the survery's all-time high of 40% in late June 2020.

This is notable for several reasons. In a business landscape where many executives feel pressure to supercharge productivity through innovative technology, the crucial element of whether employees stay engaged with their roles may become less of a focal point. In some cases, it may be overlooked entirely.

There’s no doubt that innovative technology could propel business goals forward. But without an engaged workforce, many businesses are likely to fall behind in both predictable and surprising ways.

For example, in the aforementioned Gallup poll, a meta-analysis across 112,312 teams and businesses concluded that there was a strong correlation between employees having visibility into what was expected of them in their role and organizational outcomes like employee well-being, customer engagement, employee retention, safety, and productivity.

This can be particularly essential for leaders of hybrid or fully remote teams to pay attention to. Unclear expectations surrounding workplace roles were especially acute with hybrid and fully remote workers. This particular group experienced double the decline in clearly defined roles over employees who worked mostly on-site.

Finding meaning in – and mattering at – work

A key finding of another survey – the American Psychological Association (APA)'s 2023 Work in America Survey, a poll of 2,515 employed adults in the U.S. – was that it's particularly important for workers to feel like they matter at work, and they want their work to have meaning. 95% of respondents said it was somewhat or very important to feel respected at work, and 93% said it was somewhat or very important to have a job where they felt their work had meaning.

71% of employees who reported not having meaningful work were more likely to report that they were typically stressed during the workday, compared to 45% of those who said their work was meaningful. Moreover, 20% of employees reported experiencing lower productivity due to work-related stress.

Finally, the APA's 2024 Work in America Survey – which surveyed 2,027 employed adults in the U.S. – revealed the importance of "psychological safety" in the workplace. Workers with high levels of psychological safety – or those who feel comfortable expressing themselves or raising difficult issues with their bosses and coworkers – tend to report a sense of belonging at work. Alternatively, low levels of psychological safety can lead to lower productivity and feelings associated with workplace burnout.

Unfortunately, 30% of workers experiencing lower psychological safety also report experiencing a toxic workplace (compared to 3% who say they experience higher psychological safety at work), while 61% of those experiencing lower psychological safety agree that, during their workday, they typically feel tense or stressed out (compared to 27% of those who report higher psychological safety).  

The keys to happier – and more productive – employees

It’s a reality of today’s world that budget cuts and rising inflationary expenses can lead to restructuring and layoffs, as well as less time for things that may have been important to employees in the past. Keeping a few employee-focused goals in mind might help leaders keep workers happy and, ultimately, more productive along the way:

Schedule regular meetings. Putting consistent time on the calendar to meet with employees can provide an opportunity to answer any questions or address issues that may come up, such as big staffing changes. In the absence of time to meet in person, consider weekly or monthly email updates.

Provide opportunities for anonymous feedback. Employees who might be more reticent to speak up when their name is attached to their suggestions or opinions may be more likely to do so if they could offer those up anonymously.

Prioritize mental health. Normalizing mental health care for employees through actions like offering mental health days and calling out mental health benefits available may help reduce some of the stress that workers feel.

Get trained. Whenever possible and necessary, leaders might consider receiving some formal training to lead hybrid and off-site teams. This can help them better identify ways to guide employees in their roles when they aren’t face-to-face.

The takeaway

Keeping your employees happier at work could lead to a more engaged and productive workforce. It may also help with employee retention, lower workplace toxicity, and strengthen the overall employee experience. For more suggestions on ways to engage your employees and create an overall successful workplace environment, check out the American Express Business Trends and Insights page for articles and videos on a range of topics essential to business leaders today.

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