A good work relationship requires trust, respect, self-awareness, inclusion, and open communication.
HP Inc., unveiled findings from its first HP Work Relationship Index, a comprehensive study that explores employees’ relationships with work around the world. The study, which surveyed more than 15,600 respondents across various industries in 12 countries, reveals the world’s relationship with work is at a breaking point and its effects are pervasive.
President and CEO, HP Inc., Enrique Lores said, “There is a huge opportunity to strengthen the world’s relationship with work in ways that are both good for people and good for business.
“As leaders, we must always reject the false choice between productivity and happiness. The most successful companies are built on cultures that enable employees to excel in their careers while thriving outside of work.”
The study analysed 50 plus aspects of people’s relationships with work, including the role of work in their lives, their skills, abilities, tools and workspaces, and their expectations of leadership. The study also examined the impact work has on employee well-being, productivity, engagement and culture. Through this, HP developed its Work Relationship Index, which is a measure of the world’s relationship with work to be tracked over time. It found that just 27 per cent of knowledge workers currently have a healthy relationship with work.
Unhealthy Relationships With Work Are Impacting Employees’ Mental, Emotional, And Physical Well-being
In this first-of-its-kind study, HP engaged with business leaders, IT decision makers, and knowledge workers to gain insights into the factors that drive meaningful, productive, and purposeful work experiences. The findings spotlight the negative impacts an unhealthy relationship with work has on an employee’s life and an employer’s business.
When employees are not happy with their relationship with work, it takes a toll on business:
Morale and Engagement: Knowledge workers report less productivity (34 per cent), more disengagement at work (39 per cent) and greater feelings of disconnection (38 per cent).
Retention: Even when employees feel neutral about their relationship with work, more than 71 per cent consider leaving the company. When they are not happy at all, that number rises to 91 per cent.
Identifying Drivers Behind A Healthy Relationship With Work
Employees’ expectations of work have changed significantly, particularly over the past two-to-three years.
The research examined more than 50 factors contributing to a healthy relationship with work, identifying six core drivers that represent critical focus areas and key imperatives for business leaders, and comprise the Index that will be tracked over time.
Fulfillment: Employees yearn for purpose, empowerment, and genuine connection to their work. To adapt to evolving workforce expectations, businesses must prioritize employee fulfillment through increased voice and agency.
Leadership: New ways of working demand new leadership styles, according to 68 per cent of business leaders. Cultivating emotional intelligence and transparent, empathetic leadership is crucial for today’s workplace.
People-centricity: To address this, leaders must put visible emphasis on putting people first and placing their teams at the center of decision-making.
Skills: ‘Best-practice’ businesses have an opportunity to gain a vital skills-development and employee engagement edge by investing in holistic training and support.
Tools: Today’s workers want a say in the technology and tools their employer provides and want that technology to be inclusive. However, confidence that companies will implement the right tools to support hybrid work is low. No longer just a utility, the technology portfolio is emerging as an important driver of employee engagement, as well as connection and enablement.
Workspace: Knowledge workers want a seamless experience as they move between work locations and a choice in where they work each day. Effective hybrid workspaces, easy transitions, flexibility and autonomy will be pivotal in demonstrating trust in employees and fostering a positive work experience.
Overall, trust and emotional connection are now key in attracting and retaining workers. The Work Relationship Index showed that this is a pivotal time to redefine the world’s relationships with work. Greater trust and emotional connection in the workplace were strong and recurring themes across the six core drivers.
Building and maintaining good working relationships will make employee more engaged with the work, improve his/her career potential, and create a more harmonious work environment.
