Workhuman’s New Research Quantifies the Benefits of Psychological Safety
Do you think the Great Resignation is over? Think again. Voluntary job departures remain close to historic highs. It’s no longer a blip, an aberration, an outlier, or a fluke. It’s a trend that started during the pandemic and continues as organizations and societies navigate one disruption after another.
Workhuman’s latest survey polled thousands of employees in four English-speaking countries and found that more than a third of respondents in the U.S. (33%), Canada (37%), Ireland (37%), and the U.K. (41%) are looking for a new job. Underlying the numbers is a profound shift in employee attitudes and sense of empowerment.
Over the last few years, a common refrain has been that “employees now have the power.” That isn’t exactly right. Instead, we’re seeing an end to the silent employee. Wide swaths of the workforce are demanding more of their employers: More equity, more empathy, more humanity. The demand is reminiscent of the #metoo, #blacklivesmatter, and LGBTQIA+ movements, saying aloud what was once spoken quietly.
Employers who respond to this new employee assertiveness by building a human workplace have a clear leg up. They see retention and productivity rise. They attract and retain people who are not only skilled but also self-directed, seeking empowerment and opportunity in a talent market that right now favors the seller.
How are they responding? One critical factor they’re focused on is the relationship between psychological safety and performance.
Safety encourages risk-taking
Workhuman asked respondents about risk taking and vulnerability at work, and the statement they least agreed with was, “I feel safe to take a risk in this organization.” This is a three-alarm warning for any organization trying to innovate. Fear kills transparency, inclusivity, initiative, and loyalty.
Psychological safety is basic to high productivity and engagement. You can’t perform at your best when you’re afraid to take a risk. Conversely, employees who are confident that risk-taking is okay are more likely to contribute to an innovative, open culture.
How to address this? The survey found that employees feel more connected to their colleagues than their organization’s culture. That doesn’t mean that a company culture isn’t important, but rather it suggests the best way to build a strong culture is through connection. It makes sense that most people respond to other people instead of an abstract “culture.”
Personal comfort manifests in little moments throughout the day. When managers get input from everyone in a meeting, when they recognize someone who has suggested a bold idea (instead of shooting them down), they forge connections and send the message that out-of-the-box thinking is a good thing.
That means getting input from everyone in a meeting not just one. It means recognizing and approving creative thinking, even if there’s no instant success. It means encouraging peers to call out one another’s risk-taking in positive and encouraging language.
Building a culture of safety
The survey measured 43 factors affecting psychological safety in the workplace. Many top-20 factors indicate the importance of connection. They include weekly check-ins with managers, participation in Employee Resource Groups, and being recognized for good work. =
We also found some safety factors are surprisingly simple. The third most powerful factor providing a sense of safety are celebrations of life events such as marriage, completing a diploma or a 5K, becoming a parent or adopting a pet. Just elevating the things that make us happy and more fulfilled as individuals makes work a more welcoming and engaging place.
I’ve long said that work is the “new community:” We already spend so much time and create so many relationships at work that the organization has incredible power to affirm (or deny) our full humanity. Leaders who recognize and celebrate everyone are being more than kind; they are building a culture that encourages open imagination and the free exchange of ideas.
As a leader, you can scale those celebrations and acknowledgements by making them part of your standard operations. There are three initiatives in particular – recognition, check-ins, and life events – that quickly embed into an organization’s day-to-day and establish the cadence and connection needed for meaningful outcomes.
By combining recognition, check-ins, and celebrating life events, you cultivate what I call the Human Workplace. It’s a place where gratitude and communication are primary. It prioritizes the psychological safety of employees and celebrates their achievements inside and outside of work. It nudges all employees to lead with humanity.
There’s much more to learn from the latest Workhuman survey about employees’ new feeling of empowerment and how leaders can use it to build better organizations. Read the report and tell me what you think here.
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April 28, 2023 at 09:41PM
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