What Does Work Wellbeing Have to Do With Business Success? Everything

Key Takeaways

• Globally, only 22% of Indeed survey respondents say they’re thriving at work.
• Social factors are the most influential drivers of one's sense of wellbeing at work.
• Indeed’s new Work Wellbeing 100 demonstrates that companies with higher work wellbeing collectively outperform stock market benchmarks.

What do H&R Block, Delta Air Lines, L3Harris, Accenture and Nike have in common? In addition to their global reach, as well as leading their industries in revenue generation and market capitalization, these companies are leaders in work wellbeing — which has landed them in the top five of Indeed’s new Work Wellbeing 100. 

Here’s a quick overview of the Work Wellbeing 100 index, along with new data that shows the current state of wellbeing at work — plus strategies for what your company can do to improve its Work Wellbeing Score.

What Is the Work Wellbeing 100? 

Since 2019, Indeed has partnered with leading experts at the University of Oxford to collect data on how employees feel at work, resulting in defined criteria for measuring work wellbeing: happiness, purpose, stress and satisfaction. 

Additionally, Indeed measures what influences wellbeing, including foundational, social and growth needs. Wellbeing data collection spans 19 countries and is publicly available on company pages in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., where Indeed’s Work Wellbeing Score has launched. 

Building upon this massive dataset — the world’s largest study of work wellbeing — Indeed has collaborated with the University of Oxford to create The Work Wellbeing 100, an index of the top 100 publicly traded companies ranked by the Work Wellbeing Score. These companies consistently outperformed leading stock indices, including the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite and Russell 3000, showing that prioritizing wellbeing benefits people and business.

“Prioritizing wellbeing is the right thing to do for your employees,” says Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and director of its Wellbeing Research Centre. “However, many still see wellbeing as a ‘nice to have.’ Oxford’s analysis of the business case for work wellbeing finds that companies with higher levels of employee wellbeing see better valuations, return on assets and profits.”

What Is the Current State of Work Wellbeing? 

While the scope of Indeed’s massive wellbeing dataset shows that wellbeing at work benefits both people and businesses, there is room for significant progress at a global scale. 

As detailed in Indeed’s first-ever Global Work Wellbeing Report, only 22% of respondents say they’re thriving at work, even though the benefits of work wellbeing are more apparent than ever. Globally, stress is a major contributor, with low happiness and satisfaction also contributing. 

The report also finds that the global workforce hasn’t returned to prepandemic levels regarding wellbeing. In fact, wellbeing at work has continued to decline over the past four years, according to survey respondents. 

The good news? The survey data clearly shows what drives work wellbeing: Workers highly value social capital, with belonging and inclusion ranking in the top three.

“When people can show up to work as themselves and are given the chance to be heard, be seen and grow, you’re creating the space for your team to flourish. That makes a difference that can be seen in everything a company produces,” says LaFawn Davis, Indeed’s Chief People and Sustainability Officer, who wrote the foreword for this year’s Global Work Wellbeing Report.

Davis continues: “Through innovative practices incorporating AI and skills-first hiring, and policies rooted in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, (high-scoring companies) have not only recognized the intrinsic value of a flourishing workforce. They have also reaped the tangible benefits of increased productivity, enhanced creativity and greater employee satisfaction.” 

What Can You Do to Improve Your Workforce’s Wellbeing? 

A visit to the Indeed company pages of the Work Wellbeing 100’s top five organizations reveals common themes behind their success, based on Indeed’s data as well as employee reviews. 

H&R Block, Delta Air Lines, L3Harris, Accenture and Nike all score above average or high on inclusion, belonging and energy, which our global report findings indicate are critical drivers of work wellbeing. Recent employee reviews reflect productivity, work-life balance and positive cultures. For example, employees of H&R Block proclaim that working there is “productive and fun”; everyone is considered important, “from a new employee to the company owner!”; and that the best parts of working there are “flexibility, clients … room for growth and always learning.”  

Learn more about Indeed's Work Wellbeing 100 and explore strategies and resources from Lead with Indeed to enhance your wellbeing initiatives.

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¹2024 Indeed.com data, based on number of survey responses globally