Over the past year and a half, employees in many industries are reported higher-than-normal levels of burnout. Reports of anxiety and depression have also quadrupled. With fewer recreational options on the table, people are finding it more difficult to strike a good work-life balance. Recognizing this issue, Microsoft sought to address employee well-being with new Viva features.
Access to content is one piece of the puzzle Microsft has put together in its quest to reduce employee burnout. It also added tools that workers and their employers can use to predict or measure burnout. These tools can successfully:
Limeade has spent 15 years researching well-being and its contributing factors. During this time, it relied on data from fitness trackers, biometrics and well-being surveys. It used this information to create programs that rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide the right well-being content for the right individuals.
While employee experience software is a relatively new category in the tech market, Limeade has made significant progress. The Washington-based company has even been chosen by its home state to run its SmartHealth program. It has also worked closely with several Fortune 500 companies across the globe.
Forbes reports that the type of burnout experienced in 2020 and 2021 is a new animal altogether. In most instances, employee engagement and well-being rise together. However, during the pandemic, the fear of potentially losing employment in a crumbling economy improved engagement while employee well-being plummeted. The high engagement finally burned low by the end of the year, while well-being continued to take a nosedive.
Observers believe that, in this new reality, employees should seek work-life engagement instead of work-life balance. Thus, instead of pursuing a certain ratio of work vs personal life, they should aim to be highly engaged in both spheres of their lives. This is precisely what Microsoft Viva aims to achieve.
Limeade estimates that engaged employees are seven times more likely to stay with a company for three or more years and that participation in its programs led to a 300% reduction in the turnover rates. Considering the high cost of turnover, reducing it can put money back into the business.
An old but still relevant study from Harvard Business Review showed that loyal employees create loyal customers. This is especially noticeable in B2B businesses, where employees may manage specific accounts and business managers become accustomed to working with them. Breaking that continuity can seriously disrupt the quality of service.
Employees are much better problem-solvers when they are engaged and feel a sense of purpose at work. This can lead to a more innovative culture and one where employees feel encouraged to keep their innovations in house instead of launching a rival business.
Employees who are engaged tend to take their work more seriously and take pride in the outcomes. The greater level of focus can also lead to higher levels of productivity, which can spur the company along on its goals to meet monthly quotas.
Employees who are burned out often have accompanying symptoms of fatigue, disorientation and even apathy. This can lead to more errors on the job and even physical accidents. Consequently, an engaged workforce is a healthier, safer and more produtive workforce.
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If you don’t yet have Microsoft Viva installed at your business, the employee well-being functions might change your mind. After all, this is a far more cost-effective way to re-engage employees in both money and time than its alternatives. However, you do need an enterprise license with Microsoft 365 to access Microsoft Viva. This is a cloud-based service, so cloud migration plays a crucial role in gaining access to Limeade and other productivity features that have been bundled in with the Viva platform.
With unmatched next generation migration technology, Cloudficient is revolutionizing the way businesses retire legacy systems and transform their organization into the cloud. Our business constantly remains focused on client needs and creating product offerings that match them. We provide affordable services that are scalable, fast and seamless.
If you would like to learn more about how to bring Cloudficiency to your migration project, visit our website, or contact us.