Love is in the air: Engaged workers are more productive, survey says
If the power of employee engagement hasn’t yet sunk in with company management, show your execs this latest piece of evidence.
Sixty percent of employees feel their relationship with their employer positively impacts their focus or productivity at work, and 44% say it positively impacts stress levels, according to a recent survey from Virgin Pulse.
The results of the poll, entitled Labor of Love: What Employees Love About Work & Ways to Keep the Spark Alive, make one thing clear: when it comes to creating an engaged workforce, a supportive manager/employee relationship is key.
Other keys to making employees “love” their employers:
- 53% said “interesting and challenging” work is the top reason they love their company.
- 38% said “the company’s mission” is a top reason they love their company.
- Nearly 40% of respondents identified their co-workers as the top reason they love their company.
- 66% said these relationships positively impact their focus or productivity at work.
- 55% said these relationships positively impact stress levels on the job.
And how can companies make their work environment better?
- Supporting work/life balance was ranked as the top way companies can show employees they care.
- Nearly 40% of respondents said they wished their employer cared more about their work-life balance.
- 44% indicated flexible work arrangements were the number one benefit they’d love to have.
- 30% of employees chose “free programs and resources supporting my well-being” as the number one benefit they’d like their employer to offer.
Finally, 28% of respondents ranked “maintaining good health, including physical, mental and social” as the number one aspect driving their overall well-being and happiness, compared to 22% for “financial stability.”
“The results of this survey reinforce something we’ve long known true— showing employees some love and making it clear your company cares, boosts their engagement and wins them over for the long haul,” Chris Boyce, CEO of Virgin Pulse, said in a press release. “By offering tools, programs and resources that support all areas of employees’ well-being, and helping employees understand and feel their connection to your company, you’ll help your people feel their best so they can be their best.”
The survey involved 1,000 participants in the U.S. and Canada.
