By Rebecca Lipsitch - 28th June, 2024

The World of Work 2024

PLASTARC attended the 2024 Gallup Global Workplace Report Launch Event, which featured over a dozen speakers from a variety of industries. During the event, discussions encompassed themes such as employee engagement, work/life balance, mental health, AI, and childcare.

According to the 2024 Gallup report, 62% of the world's workers report they struggle to stay engaged at work, and less than a quarter of workers are actually engaged with their work. This lack of engagement costs the global economy 8.8 trillion dollars annually. Almost every event panelist mentioned the importance of creating infrastructure for both employee and manager engagement, beyond one-off ice cream parties or puppy de-stress days.

Karishma Patel Buford, Chief People Officer at Spring Health, emphasized the criticality of sustained systemic empowerment of employees, enhancing the day-to-day employee experience, and boosting overall employee engagement. Buford said, “Culture is about how you feel on a Sunday night, going to work the next morning.”

Themes of engagement quickly turned to a conversation surrounding mental health, given the Gallup finding that “on any measurements of well-being (like stress, anger, worry, loneliness), actively disengaged employees— those that dislike their job—can have worse well-being than people who are unemployed.”

Though there’s no one size fits all solution to employee happiness, there are a variety of basic measures that must be met. Elizabeth Bryant, SVP and Chief People Officer at Southwest Airlines, talked about the power of vulnerability and psychological safety. She mentioned the importance of creating an environment where this is demonstrated from the very highest level, and noted that Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan says “I love you” to employees on a regular basis, “and actually means it.” In addition, Bryant underscored the importance of leaders being open to seeking assistance and demonstrating vulnerability, as this signals to employees that the organization genuinely values their input and encourages them to feel at ease seeking help or reporting concerns.

For over three decades, employers have been using Gallup’s 12 Elements of Employee Engagement as an assessment tool. A majority of these measurable factors center around human connection, like “I have a best friend at work,” and “My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.”

How are employers addressing the loneliness epidemic within their workplaces? Toni Thompson, the Chief HR officer at Etsy mentioned Etsy’s internal gathering team, which is dedicated to curating connection experiences for sellers and buyers—remotely, via hybrid and in person. In 2022, Etsy also made the decision to close down numerous satellite offices, reflecting an overwhelming employee preference for hybrid/remote work. The transition has been exceptionally successful, and stands on principles of minimizing “waste, energy, capital, and unnecessary programming efforts.” Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, emphasized the crucial role of labor rights in fostering community, ensuring workers feel empowered to take risks, use their voice, and have agency at work without fear of being fired.

Another heated topic was the use and misuse of AI. While AI is undeniably a growing part of the workforce, humans are experiencing a “human capital renaissance, not a technology revolution,” said Jacqui Canney, the Chief People Officer at ServiceNow. In other words, it’s essential to keep companies people-centric. David Tudehope, CEO of Macquarie Telecom, highlighted his company's approach to making AI fun, through safe experimentation and competitions that reward innovative AI applications in the workforce, aiming to reduce the stigma and apprehension associated with AI in workplaces.

The final point of discussion was about work/life balance, or really, work/life integration. A common anxiety revolved around work and personal life not being as separate as pre-pandemic. Emilia from Germany responded to the Gallup poll with “if I’m not doing well at work, I'm not doing well in life. It’s just the way it is.” Nestor from Mexico noted: “I have not been able to go to any of my children's events due to work. We are here all day.” Jessica Harrah, the Chief People Officer at KinderCare mentioned that as workers are increasingly looking for flexibility, childcare is a central concern, especially within childcare deserts, and that Gen Z actually reported caring more about the possibility of childcare than healthcare.

Overall, the panel emphasized that amidst evolving work-life dynamics, it is imperative to prioritize employee connection, engagement, and satisfaction, by addressing fundamental human needs like belonging, safety, and motivation. This commitment must permeate throughout the organization, from the CEO to the intern, ensuring comprehensive systems that foster employee well-being beyond an HR office.