The report comes from San Francisco-based 15Five, titled “The Next Generation Workplace”, and it was released during September 2019. The most important findings is that a key component to reducing turnover is through employers addressing the psychological and emotional needs of employees. This is seen as especially important for tech companies hiring Generation Z tech talent and retaining millennial employees who comprise a great percentage of management and leadership.
The basis of this is that human-centric workplaces drive retention, productivity and overall engagement but to do so, workplaces need to create cultures that normalize conversations about mental health in professional environments.
The report also found that the majority (90 percent) of employees admit to performing better when their company supports their emotional wellness. This tallies with emotional check-ins by managers of their employees leading to enhanced performance.
Behind these figures there is a generational difference. It was found that 75 percent of Gen Zers have asked for personal advice during a 1-on-1 with their manager, only a quarter of Baby Boomers have done the same.
The problem is, the report found that only 41 percent of managers make a point to discuss emotional wellbeing during regular check-ins. However, there is also some onus on employees. The survey also revealed that over half of employees have never brought up a personal matter with their managers.
There are also issues of trust at play. When questioned, 47 percent of managers said they think their direct reports withhold sensitive information from them but only a quarter of employees report doing so.
Commenting on the survey, Shane Metcalf, co-founder and Chief Culture Officer of 15Five said: “This is a very exciting time, when research in psychology and human development is proving what we already know.”
He adds: “Employees are indeed human beings who are driven to grow, develop, and fulfill a greater purpose. They have complex internal worlds and when managers and leaders address the hidden aspects of their experience, like values, beliefs, mindsets, and emotional well-being, we will see a major leap forward in how people achieve their potential at work, and the levels of success that businesses achieve as a result.”
