“If you employ human beings, you have to care for their well-being. It's not a nice to have, it’s not a good to have, it's nonnegotiable. It is a baseline requirement for today's workforce.”
On this episode of the Better podcast, Jen Fisher, chief well-being officer at Deloitte, shares her burnout experience, signs she ignored, and the impact workplace friendships and in-person connection have on our mental health, productivity, and retention.
Podcast Highlights
- Personal Experience with Burnout: Jen shares her journey through burnout, emphasizing the importance of recognizing symptoms like exhaustion and emotional strain early on.
- Effective Well-being Programs: She stresses the value of directly engaging with employees to create well-being programs that genuinely meet their needs.
- Remote Work and Mental Health: Jen discusses how remote work can heighten loneliness and advocates for in-person interactions to maintain mental well-being and productivity.
- Importance of Workplace Friendships: Jen highlights that having friends at work enhances engagement, productivity, and retention, fulfilling the human need for connection.
She talks about the No. 1 thing you should do before starting any well-being program, and how to combat loneliness some remote workers might experience.
On her experience with burnout:
I processed many of the symptoms of employee burnout as failure. I had the mindset of, “I'm just going to push through. I'll rest on the weekend. I'll take a vacation when the project's over. Then things will get better ‘when.’”
I had not been engaging in work or life and in any meaningful way. I didn't have any motivation. I was exhausted all the time. My emotions were all over the place, either really high or really low.
My personal relationships suffered. I didn't make time for them. I didn't value or prioritize them the way that I should.
So my body and brain said, “Okay, you're not going to do something about it, so we're going to make it so bad for you that you have no choice.” And that's really what happened. I was forced to take a step back and take time off from work, and address burnout and the struggles that I was having with my mental health.
That personal journey and personal discovery led me down the path of saying, “I want to help others not get to where I got.”
On where to start when creating wellness programs:
The No. 1 and lowest cost thing that you can do — because there's no cost to it other than engaging with people and getting a little bit of their time — is asking your workforce, “Hey, what do you want? What do you need? What would be meaningful? What are the barriers in the way of you doing these things for yourself, or taking advantage of the things that the organization is providing you?”
As leaders, understanding what those barriers are, you can then decide if that’s a barrier you can remove. And if you can't, are there ways around it? Are there things you can do to overcome it?
It's really powerful to engage your workforce in this type of conversation, because even if you don't do exactly what they ask you to do, the simple fact that you asked them what they thought and what they needed goes a long way.
On the challenges of remote work on our mental health:
I personally believe that there is, and will always be, a need for human beings to come together in the workplace, in person, in real life. We need to engage in conversation and work and fun — and all of those things in the workplace— with other human beings in real life. Then when we're remote, we then have a stronger connection with those people.
People go to the office to have their human needs met, and the biggest of those human needs is human connection. Can it be done in a digital environment? It can, but it can be accelerated and done better when there is also in-person time.
I'm not going to prescribe what that looks like for every organization, but with remote work, there are positives and negatives. We know that fully remote work has exacerbated the loneliness crisis. Digital connection is connection, but it's not human connection.
On the importance of friendships at work:
Unfortunately, the research shows that many people don't have a friend at work, but for those who do, they're more likely to stay with an organization. They're more engaged, their work product is better, because we are meant to connect with other human beings.
It's a sense of belonging. If I connect with another human being, I feel like I belong at the organization, and that's what we all want. We all want to know that we belong somewhere. We want to know that we're accepted. We want to know that we're seen.
And that's why you need to have at least a couple of friends at work. You don't have to like everyone, but you need a few friends.
FAQs
- How can we identify early signs of burnout among employees?
Application: Train managers and HR to recognize burnout signs such as chronic fatigue, irritability, and disengagement. Encourage open conversations about well-being and implement regular check-ins to spot issues early. - What steps can we take to create effective well-being programs?
Application: Conduct anonymous surveys to gather employee input on well-being needs. Use this feedback to tailor programs that address specific concerns, such as stress management workshops or mental health resources. - How can we support remote workers to prevent loneliness?
Application: Facilitate regular virtual social gatherings, encourage team-building activities, and offer occasional in-person meetups to build connections and reduce feelings of isolation. - Why are workplace friendships important, and how can we foster them?
Application: Design spaces and activities that encourage social interactions, such as team lunches, buddy systems, or collaborative projects, to help employees form meaningful connections and enhance their sense of belonging.
Tools & Resources
- Company Culture: Building a resilient company culture rooted in trust, flexibility, and engagement helps prevent burnout and fosters mental well-being. Discover our resources to create an inclusive culture that supports employee health and enhances performance.
- Employee Engagement: Meaningful work and flexibility are key drivers of engagement, reducing stress and promoting mental wellness. Uncover effective strategies to boost engagement in your organization through our expert insights and programs.
- Leadership & Development: Effective leadership is essential for cultivating trust and supporting employee well-being. Explore our programs designed to develop leaders who encourage collaboration, innovation, and an environment that mitigates burnout.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace builds trust, enhances well-being, and drives sustainable success. Learn how our initiatives can help you foster a more equitable, supportive environment that strengthens both mental health and team unity.
Feedback
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