Labor relations have become more complex after the pandemic. Throughout 2023, the Spanish economy has continued to grow and companies have been hiring, and yet, the mood that predominates in many workforces is discouragement and disconnection. Human resources consultants talk about the “pessimism syndrome,” and companies that are dedicated to workplace well-being say that queries and requests for help to improve team management have multiplied by four in the last year.
Experts in work psychology and labor relations agree that, in part, it is a consequence of the disconnection and loss of the feeling of belonging to companies that triggered the pandemic and that in the first months of returning to normality gave rise to to the phenomenon of the Great Resignation or the Great Resignation, the voluntary refusal of employees to return or continue in their old jobs.
“The impact of the pandemic is latent, it is very noticeable: remote work, economic uncertainty and health concerns increased the level of stress and anxiety of employees and this is noticeable in a decrease in morale, motivation and commitment; “Between 60% and 70% of Spaniards say they are not happy at work and 40% do not feel supported in terms of workplace well-being, according to various studies,” explains Tiago Santos, ambassador of Mindgram, a European technology platform. which offers support to employees regarding mental health.
The same diagnosis of widespread discouragement and anxiety is offered by Angélica Barrero Guinand, clinical manager of the ifeel psychologist platform, which offers emotional well-being services for companies and workers.
“We observed a clear discrepancy between how the professionals feel, who mostly confess to being unmotivated, and the company’s conviction that they are fine, and that increases the feeling that the company is not on their side, it does not help them,” he indicates. Barrero.
The results of the latest major survey by the human resources consultancy Adecco Group on the prospects of workers in the medium and long term placed Spain as the sixth country with the highest symptoms of burnout at work. Seven out of ten employees said they had suffered burn-out in the last year: 47% of them due to working too much, 44% due to taking on more responsibilities after layoffs or the departure of other employees, and also due to a lack of support. of the bosses or leaders of the company.
“In my work as a consultant and teacher I see many companies in Spain and, in some, people are dragging their feet emotionally, they are zombies; and it’s not because they don’t want to work, I think it’s an issue of demotivation, that in some companies there are experts in demotivating people who come from home motivated; There are very toxic organizational cultures and managers,” says Norbert Monfort, psychologist and collaborator in the People and Organization Management department at Esade.
Because, this leadership and management expert points out, the state of mind is closely linked to the level of commitment that managers are capable of generating in employees. And right now, that commitment is at a minimum.
“There is no loyalty to organizations; There are many millions of professionals who, as a result of the pandemic, eco-anxiety and social and cultural changes, feel that their lives are important, that they go by quickly and that they do not aspire to self-fulfillment at work but outside of it; Today we see human resources managers concerned that someone who joins the company does not leave within a year, due to the psychological and economic cost it has for the company,” explain Anna Gascón and Germán Cuenca, co-founders of Ethikos 3.0, a consultancy. specialized in talent selection and management.
Both they and Barrero emphasize that the salaries paid influence the disconnection and discouragement of employees but are not the main cause. “What emerges when you talk to them is, above all, the lack of recognition of their achievements and the lack of purpose, that they do not see meaning in their work,” details the head of ifeel.
And he adds that there are also communication and psychological security problems. “There is a general fear of proposing ideas and speaking in meetings because many employees feel that whatever they propose will be quickly discarded and no matter what they do there will be no changes, and that causes learned hopelessness, it distances them from the purpose, it leads them to stay in the dark. shadow and has an impact on a low mood,” says the psychologist.
Santos, from Mindgram, agrees that there is a very massive feeling among workers after the uncertainty of the pandemic and the economic difficulties derived from inflation that companies have failed them, that they have made negative decisions, that they are asking for more and more. but it gives very little and does not take care of them either in terms of recognition or emotional well-being.
“All this, added to the fatigue of remote work, the hyperconnection that it entails, and the conviction that not everything in life is work, has led many employees to apathy and a progressive disconnection without the person being consciously and without many companies detecting it, because it is gradual,” concludes Santos.