I’ve been spending a lot of time going through data and research on how employees are feeling in the workplace.

TL;DR: It ain’t pretty.

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Finding 1: Managers Need Better Training

The disconnect is pretty clear – 73% of companies are asking managers to check in weekly with their employees to make sure work is manageable, however only 39% of managers are following through. Yes, this could be a follow-through issue, however, this is also a training issue. Most managers aren’t equipped to help their direct reports prioritize. The same goes for mental health and well-being. Managers need better frameworks and training to accomplish these tasks. In the absence of such training coupled with a significant workload, companies can expect more of the same.

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​Finding 2: Trust Gap is Widening Between Employer and Employee.

We see a similar disconnect here – Companies believe they’re helping employees up-skill, however, employees don’t seem to agree. The gap is not just in training, it’s also showing up in well-being and information-sharing.

​Companies need creative ways to share and repeat information. Some thought starters below:

1. Optimize for clarity of messaging.
2. Say the same message in multiple formats. (1:1s, Team meetings, All hands)
3. More storytelling and creative ways of sharing messages (videos, internal podcasts, Fireside chats). (Some CEO[s] are opting for video messages vs. company-wide email announcements.)
4. Focus on thoughtful goal-setting and measurement across all levels

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Finding 3: Burnout and exhaustion are real.

This finding shouldn’t surprise anyone. Productivity might have gone up, but it has also come at the expense of our mental and emotional health. No matter what employee cohort you pick, you’ll see “burnout and exhaustion” as the through-line. Women are at significant risk, especially Senior-level women and women of color.

Mental health and wellness days are necessary, but not sufficient to fix this issue. We need bold solutions to tackle these bold challenges.

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​Change is coming and it’s coming fast. I see some bumps in road, but I’m optimistic that some companies will figure it out.