Just 1 in 5 workers thriving at work: Report

'Those not thriving aren't performing at their highest potential, impacting both individual employee experience and company performance'

BY Jim Wilson 08 Jan. 2025

Employers are not getting the most from most of their employers, judging by the findings of a recent study.

Overall, just 22% of employees globally are “thriving” at work, reports Indeed.

These people are those who indicate having high ratings across the four work wellbeing indicators: happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and low stress.

Just under 6 in 10 employees report negativity in three of these indicators, while just under half state the same for the fourth one.

“By definition, those not thriving aren't performing at their highest potential, impacting both individual employee experience and company performance,” read part of Indeed’s Global Work Wellbeing Report 2024.

The report also notes that the global level of work wellbeing has declined over the past few years.

Many employers globally are feeling burnt out, according to a previous report from UKG.

What drives well-being?

Contrary to common assumptions, factors such as compensation and flexibility are far from being at the top of the list when it comes to the factors that drive employee wellbeing, according to Indeed’s survey of

In fact, belonging, feeling energized at work and inclusion are the top 3 factors.

Here are the things that employers can work on to satisfy workers’ needs in these three regards:

What makes workers feel a sense of belonging?

Feeling like the company cares about them as a person (55%)
Having friends at work (37%)
Understanding how they impact other people/teams in the organization (33%)
Having the company values align with their personal values (31%)

What makes workers feel energized at work?

When they get excited about the work they do (47%)
When they feel inspired to do their best (41%)
When they feel challenged at work (39%)
When they get fully absorbed in the activities they do (37%)

What makes workers feel included at work?

Being able to express work-related opinions and ideas freely (55%)
Being able to express their personality (e.g., by means of clothing, hairstyle, etc.) without being judged (32%)
Being able to express their non-work-related opinions and ideas freely (29%)
Feeling that their cultural values are being respected (27%)

Though workers are happy at work, they are not thriving, according to a previous report.

“Globally, work wellbeing levels are declining, even worse than during the pandemic, with stress at work emerging as a leading factor. This deficit has larger implications that go beyond the confines of work. How millions of people feel at work impacts how millions of people feel in life,” says Indeed.

“Now that we understand certain drivers - belonging, inclusion and energy - have the largest influence on wellbeing overall, we can work collectively to close the gap across the globe.”

Here are some ways to enhance employee wellbeing, according to O.C. Tanner:

Empower employees to identify and solve workplace problems.
Take steps to foster a sense of social belonging among employees.
Equip managers with the tools they need to support employees’ personal challenges.
Ensure workloads are equitable and reasonable.
Empower employees to control when and how they work.