Empower Employees by Leading with Empathy

Even though empathy is a cultural connector in the workplace, only 17% of global respondents consider their organizations deeply empathetic. That’s according to a new survey by leadership development provider Dale Carnegie, which polled 3,375 full-time employees across industries, roles, organization sizes, age groups, genders and 18 countries.

The survey also found a perception disconnect between executives and employees: Across roles, 62% of leaders perceive supportive levels of empathy compared to 41% of managers and only 21% of individual contributors.

Additional research from healthcare and insurance company The Cigna Group also highlighted another disconnect: 19% of workers who classify themselves as lonely but feel understood by their manager report high vitality, compared to 8% of lonely workers who feel misunderstood. Lonely workers who feel their employer supports a healthy work-life balance are 10 times more likely to have high vitality than those who do not perceive that support (20% versus 2%), according to the report, which surveyed 7,500 U.S. adults.

While workplace friendships play a crucial role with helping employees feel connected at work, managers play an even bigger one. To create a workplace where people feel like they belong instead of isolated, organizations should empower leaders to lead with empathy.

“We all have an intrinsic need for a sense of belonging,” said Ashley Jordan, a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona. “When a leader is empathic, they help their team feel valued and respected. In turn, employees are more engaged and productive at work and are less likely to leave the organization.”

Access a bonus Workspan Daily Plus+ article on this subject:

• How to Bolster Manager Empathy

What Makes an Empathetic Leader

According to Jordan, empathetic leaders support professional and personal growth, encourage healthy work-life boundaries, and use active listening when engaged in conversation. They also recognize employees for their contributions and put them in positions that encourage success, she said.

“Empathetic leadership shows up in a million small actions versus a single grand gesture,” Jordan explained. “Beneath the empathy is genuine care for employees as people first, employees second.”

Amy Lavoie, the vice president of people science at employee experience platform Culture Amp, added that empathetic leaders value curiosity over judgment, vulnerability and authenticity. For example, treat one-on-one meetings as sacred time, ask open-ended questions that invite real sharing and acknowledge the person behind the performance, she said.

“While there are many obvious benefits to employees feeling like you see and value them as a human, a perhaps less obvious benefit is that it creates a foundation that helps them be able to also hear constructive feedback,” Lavoie said. “If they know your feedback or high expectations are grounded in a place of wanting to see them succeed, they are more likely to hear it and make changes to improve.”

Lavoie also noted curiosity as an important trait.

“When an employee is struggling at work, be curious about what might be happening beyond what you see during the workday. If you have concerns, start by asking how they feel they’re doing,” Lavoie said. “This is an empathetic question that often leads to more meaningful results than if you make assumptions or launch straight into criticism.”

As a result, Jordan said employees are more trusting and motivated at work, which can lead to stronger employee retention and job performance.

Added Lavoie: “Empathetic leaders create environments where [employees] feel safe to take risks and grow, which we’ve found to be the ultimate driver of employee commitment.”

Practicing Empathetic Leadership

Empathetic leadership does come with hurdles, warned Hannah Yardley, the chief people and culture officer at Achievers, an employee experience and recognition platform.

“Most organizations are working with lean teams and their leaders are stretched thin and unsure how to be empathetic while still encouraging top-notch performance,” she said. “There’s a real gap between the ‘dream’ workplace and reality, and managers may think it’s impossible to turn things around.”

Empathy can also sometimes be misunderstood as being permissive or soft, said the University of Arizona’s Jordan, but being empathetic isn’t about making everyone happy or having no backbone.

“Leaders still need to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions,” she explained. “The difference is how those decisions are made and communicated.”

Jordan noted empathetic leaders allow employees to feel like they have a voice in the process, and at the same time, they are treated with respect — even when the outcome isn’t what they’d hoped for.

“The best thing organizations can do when training managers is to make a data-driven case for empathetic leadership, showing it’s not a meaningless buzzword,” Yardley said, “but a valuable skill that improves employee outcomes and the company’s bottom line.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Employee Experience
• Employee Recognition
• Well-Being
• Workforce Engagement