Help Employees Bring Their Best Selves to Work

"A large majority—78%—of survey respondents are not thriving at work, revealing a significant wellbeing challenge across the global workforce," notes Indeed's Global Work Wellbeing Report 2024. Employees thrive, the report continues, when they have high ratings in happiness, satisfaction, and purpose as well as when they experience low amounts of stress.

In "A Whole-Self Mindset Improves Company Culture," authors Emmanuel V. Dalavai, Jeanne Koehler, and Jennifer Meiss explain that talent development teams can gather their own data about employee well-being through surveys, exit interviews, meetings, job shadowing, and walkarounds. Ask questions such as "How likely are you to share ideas to improve the workplace?" TD leaders can also review their organization's time-off policies and internal talent mobility programs to determine whether staff are thriving in their career and personal lives.

Further, TD teams can consider several questions about well-being at the individual, team, and organizational level:

• Do employees have access to resources that will help them meet physical aspirations, financial goals, and spiritual well-being?

• Do managers spend time clearly outlining expectations of their direct reports? Do managers treat each of their team members fairly?

• Are senior leaders transparent about the financial health of the organization?

• Do C-suite leaders work to earn the trust of team members?

The Indeed report notes that "greater employee wellbeing is tied to higher company valuation, higher return on assets, and greater profits." Thus, well-being needs to be an organizational priority.

These tips were adapted from the December 2024 issue of TD at Work. Learn more at td.org/TDatWork.