It’s increasingly accepted that a happy and engaged workforce is more productive, has lower turnover, and has numerous other positive outcomes. Research from Deakin University highlights how misguided perceptions from managers can harm employees, however, especially in areas like health and safety.

The researchers find that traditional leadership styles tend to overlook any multi-dimensional aspects of employee wellbeing. Instead, it’s more common to focus on solitary aspects, such as trying to provide meaningful work, and hope that this will suffice in boosting staff satisfaction. This inevitably means that some aspects of wellbeing are supported while others are largely ignored.

Servant leadership

The researchers found that the most effective leadership style for wellbeing was servant leadership as this ensures that a more multi-faced perspective on wellbeing is taken.

The researchers draw attention to the latest ELMO Employee Sentiment Index, which showed that 46% of Australian workers felt burned out, with a third saying that they felt overwhelmed by the volume of work they had. Indeed, the latest Workmoniter from Randstad showed that over half of Australians under 35 would readily quit their job if it prevented them from enjoying life.

“The three main facets of employee well-being we discovered in our research centered around employees’ social, psychological, and physical needs,” the researchers explain.

“If an employer focuses too much on creating meaningful work and providing their staff with opportunities to take on extra responsibility, we will often see two things happen. One is employees’ psychological well-being may be boosted because they feel challenged and that they are building their skillset. On the other hand, these employees are often more prone to experiencing setbacks in social and physical health.

Multi-dimensional

A key finding from the research is that employees are multi-dimensional and therefore need a more nuanced and holistic approach to improving their wellbeing if they are to become truly engaged at work.

“Research into leadership and employee satisfaction has, until now, failed to recognize that people aren’t one-dimensional. They have well-being needs across different areas that managers must cater to,” the researchers conclude.

“Employee well-being is holistic, and the sooner employers recognize that, the sooner they can start creating a better work environment where employees feel challenged, but also valued and supported in all areas of their life.”