Workers unhappier now than at the height of the pandemic, report says
Workers are unhappier now than they were at the height of the pandemic, according to an October report.
The culprit: COVID.
"In the last 30 years of being in this space of people and the workforce, this has been the most transformative time I have ever seen, where employees are really the ones sort of in control of their future," said Hattie Hill, the President and CEO of Hattie Hill Enterprises.
Hill has served as a business consultant to Fortune 500 companies and non-profits for three decades.
A Gallup poll shows that more than half of workers are stressed, wanting more money and job security.
Others are worried about the economy and inflation.
"Harvard Business Review just came out with a study that 76 percent of employees want you to not only focus on their value at work, but the value they bring as a total person, so that whole work-life balance piece is huge," Hill said.
Workers are also concerned with whether they feel their work is meaningful.
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 05: John Heckert wipes his eyes as he uses a computer to fill out paperwork for unemployment insurance at Eastbay Works Oakland One-Stop Career Center August 5, 2010 in Oakland, California. U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly rose b
"Employees actually want to be happy at work. They want to do something that's fulfilling for them. They care about passionate projects like sustainability, with all the noise around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, our younger workers still care about those things in the workplace," Hill said.
The bottom line is still profit, but Hill says the traditional business model has to change.
"The corporation needs to understand, the organization, non-profit, doesn't matter what it is, I have to focus on what's important to the people that come through my doors. Whether it's virtually or physically on a day-to-day basis and then start to meet those needs," Hill said.
The job starts with a personal interest in the people who work for you.
"Have what I would call a critical conversation with your employees. Meaningful, know what's important to them, know what's happening in their life, because if I feel like you care for me as a person, I care about you as an employer," said Hill.
The good news in all of this, it doesn't take much to motivate unhappy workers. The key is letting them know you value and appreciate them and that their lives matter.