The latest study from Indeed and Forrester shows that an overwhelming 71% of people aren’t flourishing at work. Here’s how companies can fix that

Are you happy at work? 

Historically, happiness and wellbeing at work were “nice-to-haves” — not something you had a reason to expect or felt you deserved. But over the past few years, a transformation has occurred in how people think work should feel

For one thing, companies like Indeed and others are starting to measure work wellbeing: A 2023 study commissioned by Indeed and conducted by Forrester Consulting surveyed more than 4,000 U.S. adults to discover whether or not people have a sense of wellbeing at work, defined by measures of happiness, stress, purpose and satisfaction.

“It was born from the desire to gain a deeper understanding of what matters most to the general workforce when it comes to work wellbeing,” says Janeane Tolomeo, Indeed’s Work Wellbeing Initiative lead. The results reveal that there is still much work to be done: Only 29% of people are thriving at work, while the other 71% report low-to-moderate wellbeing at their jobs.

The data paints a clear picture of an increasingly dissatisfied workforce while providing clues as to what employers can do to change it. “I hope this report moves people to think of work wellbeing as foundational to business performance and society overall,” Tolomeo says. “I truly believe that wellbeing leads to success for both individuals and businesses, and more happiness in the world is a win-win scenario.”

In this free report, you’ll discover some surprising findings:

  • One of the study’s most interesting findings was the demographic split between those who feel satisfied at work and those who don’t. The 29% who report high levels of wellbeing are more likely to be older and male; those who are dissatisfied at work are likely to be women and millennials or Gen Zers. 
  • Expectations for work wellbeing are also rising much faster for younger generations of workers, with 59% of Gen Z having increased expectations compared with 28% of baby boomers. 
Chart: Expectations around work wellbeing are particularly high for Millennials and Gen Z. 47% of people report their work wellbeing expectations are higher then they were just one year ago. Gen Z 59%, Millennials 54%, Gen X 38%, and Baby Boomers 28%
  • As the workforce continues to trend younger, these changes will matter more and more. Of survey respondents, 97% believe it’s possible for people to be happy at work most of the time, and 88% believe work should provide more than just a paycheck. A particularly compelling figure: 67% of workers agree that wellbeing at work is a right, not a privilege. 

This reflects a major shift in how people have worked over the past century, says University of Oxford Professor of Behavioural Science and Economics Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, one of the study’s co-authors. “Work used to be transactional: One gave up time for money and asked no further questions,” he says. Though widely accepted by economists of the time, this view of the labor market resulted in poor working conditions. However, with economic development and the movement to advance labor standards and workers’ rights, this perception gradually changed. 

  • The data shows that employees do better work when they’re happy — and when they’re not, they’re more likely to consider leaving. 
Chart: Happy employees work more effectively, energetically and creatively. This chart states 82% of happy employees prioritize work effectively compared to 43% for unhappy employees. 81% of happy employees put a lot of time and energy into tasks compared to 41% for unhappy employees. 79% of happy employees solve problems creatively or adapt to new ways of working/thinking compared to compared to 40% for unhappy employees. 74% of happy employees prioritize things that benefit the company compared to 38% for unhappy employees. 68% of happy employees bounce back quickly from a bad meeting or workday compared to 31% for unhappy employees.
  • The study delves into the role that senior leaders and managers play when it comes to wellbeing, with managers especially having a direct impact on worker wellbeing. However, 56% of workers said they don’t feel supported by their manager, and 73% believe that feedback is not welcomed by their manager.
Chart: Managers are important to wellbeing - and they have some work to do. 61% of people agree their manage leads by example. 64% of people agree their manage understands what it's like to do their job.
Chat: What kinds of support are you looking for from your manager? 44% report receiving enough support from my manager in difficult times. 44% report feeling heard by my manager. 42% report not being micromanaged. 41% report understanding what I need to do to be successful in my role. 32% report having conversations around my growth and development. 27% report feeling that my frank feedback to my manager is welcome. 17% report having regular meetings with my manager.

The report also offers actionable takeaways that include: 

  • Skip the pizza parties. It’s a whole meme subcategory: the clueless boss offering a few pepperoni pies instead of treating workers properly. What people really care about is achieving work-life balance, finding a sense of purpose, experiencing psychological safety — needs that aren’t met by the occasional greasy slice. When it comes to “perks,” almost half of people say that good benefits are a must-have, and about a third say that a lack of other financial benefits (like retirement plans) or flexibility in shift scheduling or mental health days are deal breakers for them. When it comes to perks they don’t already have but that are very important to them, the ability to work from home ranks very highly, as does a “no email after hours policy.” (For the full data set, download the report at the link below.) 
  • Measure what you treasure. Job seekers are using wellbeing insights to determine which companies are a good match for them. That’s why it’s imperative for organizations to actively measure and track their work wellbeing metrics so they can see where they’re succeeding — or where they might need improvement. 

One way to do this is by tapping into the Indeed Work Wellbeing Score. Fueled by the largest study of work wellbeing and designed in partnership with leading experts, Indeed collects and measures wellbeing data from millions of Indeed users and displays these insights for thousands of companies around the world. People can better understand how employees feel working at a particular company and compare how these metrics stack up to others in the same industry.

“Measure what you treasure, because what gets measured tends to get done,” De Neve says.

To gain more insights and actionable takeaways, download the free report below.