Employee Discontent Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do About It.

Everywhere you look, the data points in the same direction: People are miserable at work. One in five employees say their job hurts their mental health. Nearly a third of employees describe their workplace as isolated or impersonal, and over 40% report significant stress. But despite this growing discontent, employees aren’t quitting; they’re “job hugging.” In other words, many employees are staying put even if they’re unhappy in their jobs. “You can understand why workers are hesitant to make a move,” says Travis Grosser, associate professor of management at the University of Connecticut. “People still carry scars from the pandemic that affect how they relate to work and their colleagues. There are also economic concerns and questions about AI’s impact on jobs.” As a leader, you might be tempted to ignore these issues in favor of other seemingly more pressing concerns. But doing so is short-sighted. When workers are unhappy, it tends to ripple across the organization. “Your people drive growth,” says Mark Royal, senior client partner for Korn Ferry Advisory. “If they’re not in a positive place, it impacts motivation, commitment, and discretionary effort.” Here are eight questions to help you reflect on what could be contributing to your employees’ unhappiness—and how you can start to address the issue head-on in your organization. 1. What are the biggest frustrations my team faces, and what am I doing to remove them? The clearest way to show you’re invested in your team is to eliminate the obstacles that make work harder than it needs to be, says Royal. “Show people you care by removing what’s most frustrating to them.” For many teams, it’s the workload. There’s more work than time to do it. If you can’t reduce the volume of demands, focus on protecting your team’s time and energy. Make sure priorities are clear. Get everyone on the same page about what needs to get done and to what standard. “When they’ve got 12 things to do, they need to know which are the four critical ones,” Royal says. “The rest you delegate, postpone, or take off the table.” Tackle the bottlenecks, too, adds Grosser. Clunky approval processes, shifting priorities, and excessive meetings grind people down. “Stay attuned to what’s getting in the way,” he says, “and identify where you can intervene.” 2. What decisions am I holding onto that my team could be making? Also, make sure you’re not the bottleneck. When every decision requires your approval or when you micromanage every move, people can’t get anything done. Few things are more demoralizing. Give your team members specific authority, says Royal. Be explicit about what decisions they own and which ones they don’t. “These are calls I encourage you to make, need you to make, and expect you to make,” he says. Then let them proceed independently. Grosser recommends involving people in decisions that affect their work. Ask for their feedback on fixing broken processes and get their ideas for making their jobs easier. “Even if you can’t incorporate their suggestions, asking for input signals that you value what they have to say,” he says. “If you go a different direction, explain why.” 3. Where am I making people do things my way when I could be giving them flexibility? You might not have the final say on every policy, but giving people autonomy is a high-impact, low-cost way to improve how they feel about work, according to Grosser. “As much as you can, let people work from home if they want to,” he says. “Give them control over when they start their day, and trust them to manage their schedules.” Studies show that employees with greater autonomy are more productive and more engaged. And companies with flexible policies see stronger business results. That said, flexibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. “If you’re scanning the workforce for the factors creating misery, the answers will be different for different segments,” says Royal. “What matters to operational workers differs from what matters to corporate staff. Parents with young families have different needs than people nearing retirement.” The specifics may vary, but the principle holds: Give people control where you can. 4. How can I create opportunities for genuine connection? Relationships at work matter more than most leaders realize, says Grosser. They’re one of the biggest drivers of job satisfaction because they help people feel seen and valued. A strained relationship with a boss, on the other hand, can make work feel awful. Cultivate strong relationships with your team members. Hold regular one-on-ones that go beyond status updates. Ask people about their career goals, what matters to them, and what challenges they’re facing outside of project deadlines. Create time for your team members to connect with each other, too. Group projects and community service initiatives foster camaraderie and give people purpose beyond their daily tasks, says Grosser. The key is making it genuine, not performative. “Team-building activities can sometimes seem like mandatory fun and not everyone buys into them, but people do want to know the colleagues they’re working alongside,” he says. 5. What am I doing to support my team’s well-being? Well-being support is especially important to younger workers, says Royal. Research shows that Gen Z, in particular, wants to know their organization cares about mental health—a need that’s growing as many struggle with stress and anxiety. Make mental health and wellness resources visible and actively encourage people to use them. Create a culture where taking advantage of support doesn’t feel risky or self-indulgent. And build in time during the workday so people can access help without guilt. Think holistically, says Royal. Make sure people know about benefits that support their physical health, finances, and stress management. “When those things are under control, everything gets easier. There are fewer distractions and you can focus and do your best work.” Model balance yourself, adds Grosser. If you skip vacations or send emails at midnight, you’re setting an unhealthy standard for what’s expected. 6. How am I making people feel valued and helping them see the meaning in their work? Many employees feel overlooked and frustrated after years of heavier workloads and constant change. But regular recognition of their efforts can shift that dynamic, says Grosser. “It’s hard to feel miserable when you feel valued.” Show appreciation whenever the moment presents itself, he advises. If a team member steps in to help a colleague or volunteers to take the lead on a challenging project, highlight it in a team meeting. This reinforces that what they do matters. Share success stories that link people’s work to real outcomes. For instance, show how an idea they proposed improved a process or strengthened a customer relationship. “When people can see that connection, their work feels more meaningful,” Grosser says. “People need to know they’re more than just a pair of hands showing up to do a job,” adds Royal. 7. Where could I be doing more to help people advance in their careers? An uncertain economy tends to lock people in place. There are fewer openings to move into, and money for training is often the first thing cut. As a result, “people feel like they’re getting left behind,” says Grosser. That’s why creating opportunities for people to learn and grow becomes even more critical, according to Royal. Look for low-cost or no-cost development opportunities: mentoring relationships, stretch assignments, and job shadowing. If you’re part of a small company, be honest about the constraints but highlight the advantages. “We can’t promote you endlessly, but you can wear a lot of hats and be close to the action—and that will help you whether you stay here or go elsewhere,” he says. For employees stalled in large organizations, focus on preparation. “We can’t promote as quickly as you’d like, but let’s look at the steps and development experiences that will help you get ready—like project leadership and cross-functional experience. When the opportunity comes, you’ll be ready.” 8. When was the last time I took a hard look at whether our pay is competitive? Finally, there’s the issue many leaders would rather avoid: money. Employees are being asked to do more with less, their compensation hasn’t kept pace, and their paychecks don’t stretch as far with rising costs. “It can feel like an intractable problem, and you might want to throw up your hands or shift blame to HR or budget constraints,” says Royal. But even with limited authority over pay, you can still help, he says. Talk openly with employees about how compensation decisions are made—the factors that determine pay, how performance and merit are weighed, and what it takes to advance. This doesn’t change the numbers, “but it helps employees see the logic and fairness behind decisions,” he says. “And when they understand the system, they can navigate it more effectively.” Also make sure employees understand their full compensation package, including benefits they might be undervaluing. And give candid feedback about people’s readiness for promotion. This helps your team members know where they stand and what’s possible, Royal says. . . . Improving your team’s morale won’t happen overnight. And you don’t have full control: Budget constraints, corporate policies, and market conditions are often beyond your reach. What matters is being deliberate about what you can influence. Stay attuned to your team members’ frustrations, ask for their input on decisions that affect their work, and pay attention to their career progress and well-being. Small, consistent actions matter more than grand gestures. Remove obstacles where you can, and treat people like they matter. You won’t solve everything, but you might just make work feel a little less miserable.

Employee Discontent Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do About It.

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