The Business Case for a More Meaningful and Joyful Employee Experience

After an optimistic uptick in organizational investments in employee experience in 2021 and 2022, researchers are tracking concerning declines. Employee engagement rates dropped from 41% in 2022 to 37% in 2023, and the declines have continued into 2024. Gallup announced employee engagement rates hit an 11-year low point after the first quarter of this year. As a result, nearly one out of every two workers say they are considering quitting their job in the year ahead. Among professional workers, as many as 85% were considering a new job in 2024.

These sobering statistics demand employers to reexamine their strategies for revenue growth and sustainable productivity. For job seekers, the importance of well-being and work-life balance remains important. Gallup found 62% of U.S. workers say these are important factors when considering their next job. Those who are charged with leading employee well-being efforts in their organizations often feel caught.

When we’re ensconced in an environment of ongoing cost-cutting measures and being asked to do more with less, what can we do for ourselves and those we lead to support our resilience and well-being? What can we do to rise above daily challenges and elevate our experience with new ways to work?

I believe a more holistic approach to well-being has never been more essential. A holistic approach fosters joy, wonder, flow, and that meaningful spark that connects people more deeply to themselves, their team, and their work. Such self-transcendent experiences are important, not just for your own well-being, but also for the well-being of your team. They help us to connect with one another around common interests and values, driving stronger feelings of satisfaction, fulfillment, and engagement.

In 2021, I took a sabbatical to dig deeper into the research on the spiritual well-being practices that support a more holistic approach to well-being. I wrote a book summarizing my findings, and its publication in 2022 was met by an enthusiastic response to the call for work experiences that help employees connect more deeply with their purpose and in their relationships with their co-workers. What’s been slower to gain traction is employer interest in strategies associated with fostering transcendence at work. 

Transcendence means to rise above and beyond something to an elevated or superior state. It is also about connecting to something bigger than oneself. This could be connecting to nature, a cause, a community, or some sense of the divine. While the experience of transcendence may feel mystical and ethereal, it’s measurable. Researchers have identified many self-transcendent mental states—awe, flow, inspiration, joy, and wonder—that are linked to thriving individuals and teams. When we experience these states, we see increases in helping behaviors, compassionate responses, connectedness, and physical and mental energy. We also see decreases in anxiety, burnout, depression, and the body’s inflammatory response. As a result, fostering transcendence prevents chronic conditions, slows aging, and helps us be more resilient when facing challenges. At work, these mental states make us more open-minded and accepting of different points of view. We’re more creative, mentally focused, and better problem solvers. We’re also kinder to coworkers and more likely to get along with them. Transcendent experiences make us more likely to show up at work, enjoy what we’re doing, and feel more alive and fulfilled in our work.

Who doesn’t want more of this for themselves, their teams, and their organizations?

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can infuse more transcendence into your well-being journey at home and at work, I hope you’ll join me on August 29 at the 2024 Annual Wellness Summit in Chicago. My keynote session will share a new framework for practices that honors a whole-person approach to well-being, including evidence-based strategies for fostering more awe, joy, wonder, and inspiration at work. Along the way, you’ll be encouraged to explore how to apply these practices to your own well-being journey and to work with other attendees to identify some actionable ways to infuse more fun, flow, and energy into your work.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR JESSICA GROSSMEIER, Ph.D., M.P.H. // CEO • Jessica Grossmeier Consulting

Jessica Grossmeier, Ph.D., M.P.H., is an award-winning researcher, speaker, and author of Reimagining Workplace Well-Being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence. As a leading authority in workforce well-being, she collaborates with employers and well-being service providers to create evidence-based strategies. Recently recognized as one of the most influential women leaders in health promotion by the American Journal of Health Promotion, Jessica serves as a senior fellow for the Health Enhancement Research Organization, co-leads the Global Wellness Institute’s Workplace Wellbeing Initiative, and serves on several advisory boards. Jessica holds doctoral and master’s degrees in public health, specializing in community health education.