To successfully adapt and thrive in our new normal, we can’t just react to problems as they occur — we need to predict and mitigate issues before they happen. We need to monitor patterns to forecast trends. We need to identify successful steps taken by others before us to inform our own decisions and surface the strongest possible solutions. And we need to do all of this accurately and at scale if we are to truly understand and address the wide-ranging needs of diverse populations during these unprecedented times.
This, in essence, is why data and actionable insights are more critical than ever before. As noted by Jay Choi, EVP and GM of Employee Experience Business at Qualtrics, and a partner on our recently released Thrive XM Index: “It’s critical that companies listen and measure the vital signs of not just their organization, but also their people — their concerns, needs, and wants as both employees and human beings.” Doing so helps to not only identify key patterns and trends to truly understand performance, but also to measure and inspire progress and success.
Of course, data is only as helpful as what we do with it. Our opportunity is to turn our insights into changes and solutions that really make a difference in people’s lives, supporting them through key moments and experiences in life and work. The more informed our decision-making processes can be, the more nuanced our understanding of various situations, the better we can identify solutions that work not just for some, but for all. A critical first step is prioritizing the well-being and resilience of our people. By helping us understand the ways people are thriving and the ways they’re not, data is one of our most powerful tools for bringing about the kinds of changes that really have an impact.
So take a look at the Thrive XM Index, a first-of-its-kind, data-driven examination of the links between individual well-being and organizational agility, resilience, and performance. Our findings are conclusive — clearly demonstrating that employee experience and well-being are correlated to organizational agility, resilience, and better business outcomes. This has been even truer during the pandemic, when companies and their employees have faced unprecedented challenges, disruptions, and stress. It’s in times of uncertainty, change, and turmoil that we need resilience the most. And the companies that have taken care of their people are able to draw on that organizational resilience. What’s clear is that the long-term health and well-being of any company’s bottom line is deeply connected to the employee experience, especially in the moments that matter most to its people.