If organizations don’t embrace diversity in the workplace, they miss an opportunity to improve employee engagement and well-being.
In today’s labor market, there are more jobs than workers to fill them, and one would think that employees are finding jobs they want and feeling positive about their day to day. Yet we’re seeing that employees continually lack engagement at work, and despite our constantly connected culture, more people are experiencing loneliness, which can lead to depression and other mental health issues. The costs of mental health issues are not to be taken lightly — presenteeism, or being at work but not fully productive and engaged, is estimated to cost $78 billion a year and result in 32 workdays lost per employee.
In our 2019 State of Workplace Empathy Study, nearly a quarter of respondents (24%) said there wasn’t a true sense of belonging at their workplace, and approximately the same number (22%) reported they cannot bring their authentic selves to work. Feeling like you don’t belong at the place you spend so much of your waking hours is difficult and troubling, and this can lead to disengagement and loneliness. So, how can we as leaders address these issues of disconnection and a lack of engagement? The answer is empathy— and when organizations embrace the diversity of today’s workforce, it creates an empathetic work environment and improves business outcomes.
Our latest results demonstrate that diversity and inclusion are more important than ever for creating an empathetic workplace. For example, 75% of employees say that more diversity in leadership makes organizations empathetic, and 87% say diversity & inclusion (D&I) programs demonstrate empathy. Large majorities of HR professionals and CEOs agree, showing that regardless of job role, people believe that a workplace that welcomes them for who they are supports an empathetic culture.
Now in its fourth year, our State of Workplace Empathy Study has shown over time the value of diversity in fostering workplace empathy. Here are three key findings from the 2019 results:
April is Celebrate Diversity Month, so this is a perfect time to reflect on the value of diversity for fostering workplace empathy. We should also remember, this month and every month, how diversity and empathy go hand-in-hand for keeping employees engaged and productive, and feeling that they belong.
Read the 2019 State of Workplace Empathy Executive Summary below.