Empathetic leadership leads to higher job satisfaction and decreases employee turnover
Ernst & Young LLP recently released the 2021 EY Empathy in Business Survey, tracking how empathy affects leaders, employees and innovation in the workplace. The survey of more than 1,000 Americans who are employed reveals that many have left a previous job because their boss wasn’t empathetic to their struggles at work (54%) or in their personal lives (49%).
We already know “successful” organizations have embraced a more human-centric culture, one whose hallmarks are flexibility and employee well-being, to attract and retain talent during the Great Reshuffle. Ernst & Young’s survey findings corroborate this idea by showing a striking 58% of employees have previously left a job because they didn’t feel valued by their boss, and nearly half (48%) have left a job because they didn’t feel like they belonged.
Beyond improving employee satisfaction and decreasing turnover rates, the research exemplified tangible business benefits to prioritizing empathy in the workplace. According to the survey, benefits are plenty, since employees agree that mutual empathy between leaders and employees increases:
The ability to connect with employees and provide a supportive work environment is more important than ever. Organizations and leaders must prioritize empathy to foster innovation, inspire growth and successfully lead business transformation efforts.
