New report points to growing sense of ‘ambiguity’ in the workplace as the disruption to our working and our home lives caused by the pandemic continues

Fascinating in-depth new report in this week’s newsletter, published as the UK faces ongoing periods of Covid-19 lockdowns and tiered restrictions. Aviva’s ‘Embracing the Age of Ambiguity’ report explores the impact that a growing sense of ambiguity is having on key areas of working life, from wellbeing and work-life balance to employee-employer relationships.

The research report reveals that personality plays a key role in determining our preferences, behaviours and outcomes – at home and work – and predicts a third of our wellbeing levels and a quarter of our life satisfaction scores. Against a backdrop of widespread ambiguity in our lives currently, those who are coping better across mental wellbeing, lifestyle, health and work satisfaction perhaps unsurprisingly tend be more naturally emotionally resilient, conscientious, and optimistic. Those with lower emotional resilience are the most vulnerable and need the most support during this time.

The report contends that differences, along with age demographics and personal situations in the workplace, create a strong argument against a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to supporting, managing and motivating employees in the ‘Age of Ambiguity’.  Instead, a personalised approach is required to suit the very different experiences that employees have at work. Aviva’s research shows less than one in six employees agrees their employer is trying really hard to understand what motivates them and just a quarter agree their employer is genuinely concerned about their wellbeing.

Debbie Bullock, Wellbeing Lead at Aviva, comments: “Wherever they are working, people remain a business’ number one asset, and by providing them with the right tailored support, their contribution will be more valuable than ever before. Whilst many employers rightly segment their workforce along demographic lines, it’s critical to include personality type as an additional dimension. This will enable far more targeted interventions and ensure that employers provide the best physical, mental or financial welfare for their employees. The strongest businesses will be those that lead by example and adopt new ways of providing employees with tailored support.”

This report makes for recommended reading and the good news is that some of the issues and challenges will be bought into sharp focus at our upcoming Virtual Digital Workplace Conference early this Spring. Look forward to welcoming you there.