Work Wellbeing In India 2023 Report: How Thriving People Create Thriving Companies A FORRESTER CONSULTING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP REPORT COMMISSIONED BY INDEED, JULY 2023
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Executive Summary Indeed commissioned Forrester to explore employee wellbeing across the globe. In India, Forrester surveyed 2,132 employees to understand their current wellbeing at work, as well as wellbeing beliefs and how these beliefs affected their performance, productivity, and retention. For the purpose of this study, an employee has high wellbeing or is “thriving“ if they indicate: 1) having a clear sense of purpose, 2) feeling satisfied with their job, 3) feeling happy most of the time, and 4) not feeling stressed at work most of the time. These four key indicators align with Forrester and Oxford expertise around work wellbeing.1 In India, we found the following: 1. Just 24% of employees in India are thriving at work. This means 76% of employees are not thriving, which significantly affects performance, the decision to stay or look elsewhere, and employees’ overall life satisfaction. These numbers are on par with the average of countries included in this study. 2. Employees who are thriving have significantly higher retention metrics, and happy employees are significantly more productive than those who are not. 3. Employees who are thriving cite they feel energized, are a part of an inclusive/respectful environment, and have a manager who helps them succeed. They are also more likely to indicate their employer measures wellbeing, prioritizes wellbeing over profit, and believes that employee wellbeing leads to business success. 4. 78% of surveyed employees in India say their expectations around work wellbeing are the same or higher now versus just a year ago. However, employees don’t believe wellbeing is a priority for senior leaders or their company.
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Only 24% of employees in India are thriving at work. Base: 2,132 respondents in India who are part of the active workforce *Base 15,197 global respondents’ part of the active workforce in the US (4,002), India (2,132), UK (1,517), Canada (1,510), The Netherlands (1,504), France (1,508), Germany (1,506), and Japan (1,518) *Note: Average among countries surveyed; no weight has been applied based on country sample sizes Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Indeed, March 2023 Average percentage of thriving employees among countries studied: 25%*
Employees in India believe their employer is responsible for their work wellbeing and happiness. They also have higher wellbeing expectations compared to just a year ago. Base: 2,132 respondents in India who are part of the active workforce *Note: Sum of managers, top management responsible for entire organization, the CEO, human resources †Base 15,197 global respondents’ part of the active workforce in the US (4,002), India (2,132), UK (1,517), Canada (1,510), The Netherlands (1,504), France (1,508), Germany (1,506), and Japan (1,518); average among countries surveyed; no weight has been applied based on country sample sizes Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Indeed, March 2023 My employer is responsible for my work wellbeing.* Compared to 60% across all markets included in this study† 67% 78% Wellbeing expectations at work are higher now versus one year ago. Compared to 47% across all markets included in this study†
Feeling energized, being in an inclusive/respectful environment, and having a manager who helps them succeed have the most significant impact on wellbeing. Drivers With The Most Impact On Work Wellbeing Base: 2,132 respondents in India who are part of the active workforce Note: These numbers represent the relative impact of attributes on employee wellbeing, calculated as incremental contribution of each attribute into explaining the variance in the wellbeing variable. To make it easier to compare the attributes, these numbers are turned into percentages that sum up to 100%. Due to rounding sum may appear greater than/less than 100%. Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Indeed, March 2023 In most of my work tasks, I feel energized 12% My work environment feels inclusive and respectful of all people 12% My manager helps me succeed 12% I am achieving most of my goals at work 11% I feel a sense of belonging in my company 11% There are people at work who appreciate me as a person 10% There are people at work who give me support and encouragement 9% I am paid fairly for my work 7% I can trust people in my company 7% I often learn something at work 5% My work has the time and location flexibility I need 4% Magnitude of impact/relative importance of scale. Highest Lowest
Thriving Employees Have Significantly Higher Retention Metrics … 75% plan to stay at their current job for the next 12 months.* plan to stay at their current job for the next 12 months.* 60% 89% 63% 38% 8% feel they are in the right role.† feel they are in the right role.† never, or almost never feel stressed at work. never, or almost never feel stressed at work. THRIVING NOT THRIVING
… And Happy Employees Have Significantly Higher Productivity Levels 79% prioritize work effectively. prioritize work effectively. 58% 77% 59% 78% 58% put a lot of energy into their tasks. put a lot of energy into their tasks. solve problems creatively. solve problems creatively. HAPPY NOT HAPPY
After pay, the ability to achieve goals, and time and location flexibility are the top reasons employees consider new opportunities. I’m not paid fairly for my work. My work doesn’t have the time and location flexibility I need. 21% 27% I have a hard time achieving my goals at work. 22%
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. 88% of employees in India believe it’s important to find companies that care about how you feel. Base: 2,132 respondents in India who are part of the active workforce Note: Showing 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 [Strongly disagree] to 5 [Strongly agree] Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Indeed, March 2023
Employees feel there is an expectation from senior leadership to take on more work. Base: 2,132 respondents in India who are part of the active workforce Note: Showing 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 [Strongly disagree] to 5 [Strongly agree] Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Indeed, March 2023 The senior leadership in my company … 69% expects people to take on work outside of their responsibilities
68% 87% 73% 93% Managers Play A Crucial Role In Wellbeing Yet still have room to have an even greater impact My manager leads by example. My manager understands what it’s like to do my job. Managers should be empathetic leaders that lead by example. Without this guidance, employees feel less supported in their role, which negatively affects wellbeing. Thriving Not thriving
Younger employees are less likely to be thriving, and fewer indicate their employer ties wellbeing to success of the business compared to older generations. Percentage Of Employees Who Are Thriving By Age Group 20% 24% 27% % Employees who are thriving 18 to 26 27 to 42 43 to 58 Just 67% of 18- to 26-year-olds believe their employers connect wellbeing and happiness to business success, compared to 78% of 27- to 42-year-olds and 74% of 43- to 48-year-olds. Base: 2,097 respondents in India who are part of the active workforce Note: Sample size prevents analysis of the 59+ age group Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Indeed, March 2023
Thriving Employees More Likely To Indicate Employer Believes Wellbeing And Happiness Equate To Business Success 87% Employer believes wellbeing and happiness mean business success 71% 84% 67% 72% 60% Employer measures wellbeing Employer prioritizes wellbeing over profit THRIVING NOT THRIVING Employer believes wellbeing and happiness mean business success Employer measures wellbeing Employer prioritizes wellbeing over profit
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Improve employer brand by focusing on work wellbeing. With 88% of employees in India indicating it’s important to find companies that care about how employees feel, there is a lot riding on your company’s ability to improve wellbeing. There is also a major opportunity to stand out by showcasing where your company is succeeding. Consider sharing how your company prioritizes wellbeing during interviews, in job descriptions, on its website, and other branding materials. Help managers help employees. A great manager has a huge impact on employee experience and retention. Teaching managers how to be better managers through coaching, offering their employees autonomy yet providing guidance, and celebrating personal accomplishments is inexpensive but powerful in terms of outcomes. Understanding what drives employee wellbeing will create cultures that attract, nurture, and retain talent. Companies who seek to understand and prioritize what’s important to employee wellbeing — and help them achieve it — will see significant improvement in productivity and retention. We found that helping employees feel energized, ensuring employees are in an inclusive/respectful environment, and making sure employees have a manager who helps them succeed have the biggest impact. Key Recommendations
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. In this study, Forrester conducted an online survey of 2,132 respondents in India to evaluate their overall wellbeing at work. Survey participants included adults in the active workforce (i.e., those 18+ working fulltime, part-time, or who have been unemployed for less than two years and are open to new opportunities). Questions provided to the participants asked a variety of topics related to happiness at work, including general perspectives on happiness, drivers of happiness, impact of happiness at work on business results, different aspects of stress at work, the relationship between work happiness and job searches, and others. Respondents were offered a small incentive as a thank-you for time spent on the survey. The study began in February 2023 and was completed in March of 2023. Methodology Project Team: Vanessa Fabrizio, Senior Market Impact Consultant Ben Anderson, Associate Market Impact Consultant Contributing Research: Forrester Employee Experience research group ABOUT FORRESTER CONSULTING Forrester provides independent and objective research-based consulting to help leaders deliver key transformation outcomes. Fueled by our customer-obsessed research, Forrester’s seasoned consultants partner with leaders to execute on their priorities using a unique engagement model that tailors to diverse needs and ensures lasting impact. For more information, visit forrester.com/consulting. © Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Forrester®, Technographics®, Forrester Wave, and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. For additional information, go to forrester.com. [E-57562]
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Demographics Country India (100%) Age Range 18 to 24 (16%) 25 to 34 (41%) 35 to 44 (30%) 45 to 54 (10%) 55 to 64 (3%) 65+ (0%) Gender Male (61%) Female (39%) Employment Status Full-time (35+ hours per week) (89%) Part-time (less than 35 hours per week) (11%) Level Of Annual Household Income Low (Under INR 25,000 to INR 399,999) (30%) Medium (INR 400,000 to INR 799,999) (32%) High (INR 800,000 or more) (37%) N/A (1%) Tenure 3 months or less (3%) 4 to 6 months (4%) 7 months to a year (12%) 2 to 3 years (27%) 4 to 5 years (21%) 6 to 10 years (21%) 11 to 15 years (9%) 16 to 20 years (2%) More than 20 years (1%)
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Demographics (cont’d) Level Of Education Low (Less than SSC/HSC to SSC) (8%) Medium (Some college – no degree to diploma, certification or technical degree) (7%) High (Graduate degree to post graduate degree) (84%) Type Of Work Primarily knowledge work (58%) Primarily manual labor (10%) Primarily service-based (30%) Other (2%)
© Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 Work wellbeing definition based on methodology developed in partnership with Oxford that aligns with external standards from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and UK Office For National Statistics. Endnotes
Explore More RELATED FORRESTER RESEARCH “Focus On Empathy To Gain Your Employees’ Trust,” Forrester Research, Inc., December 29, 2022. “Forrester’s Essential Guide To Forging And Leading A Thriving Organization In 2023,” Forrester Research, Inc., November 11, 2022. CONTACT INDEED in.indeed.com in.indeed.com/insights
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