Insights

Amidst ongoing labor shortages and widespread skills gaps, companies are struggling to attract and retain top talent. The average time to hire is at an all-time high, while worker satisfaction is at an all-time low. The result? HR leaders are spending more time and money on workforce management than ever before.

How can we combat this scourge of stress and create workplaces that radiate wellness and joy? The key is supportive, human-focused leadership. By prioritizing employee well-being and workplace mental health, supportive leadership can steer companies toward higher employee satisfaction, productivity, and profits.

In their quest to build thriving workforces, HR teams have employed various tactics throughout the years. Compensation, work-life balance, and professional development strategies have all helped enhance employee engagement. Yet increasingly, evidence points to an even more impactful strategy: the cultivation of workplace purpose.

While traditional models emphasize a compliance-based “have-to-do” approach, at WorkProud, we advocate for a “want-to-do” model – inspired by employee pride. This model isn’t merely theoretical; independent research and data reveals that companies where employees indicate high levels of individual work and company pride show turnover rates 40% lower than their less prideful counterparts.

Even though colleague praise boosts camaraderie and productivity, there’s something uniquely powerful about manager-to-employee recognition. When leaders take time out of their busy days to acknowledge successes, employees are inspired to perform at their peak — and they are more likely to extend that recognition to their colleagues. This creates a ripple effect that fosters a workplace culture of recognition.

Employee engagement is one of the most powerful and needle-moving strategies that companies can undertake. Everything from worker productivity to customer satisfaction, to revenue will only grow as engagement increases. The positive outcomes of engagement programs are more than just qualitative — they’re highly measurable.