Employee wellbeing has been high on the agenda since the Covid-19 pandemic, and now through the cost-of-living crisis. But are those at the top, who shoulder a significant burden of stress, are being forgotten? Hilary Rowland looks the issues affecting c-suite executives.
Burnout among the c-suite was endemic before the pandemic, but this issue has now really come to the fore. Research by people analytics platform Visier has found nearly three-quarters (70%) of C-suite executives report feelings of burnout, markedly higher than mid-level (55%) and first-level (45%) managers.
Meanwhile, 40% of executives said they ‘always’ felt burnt out, compared with 28% of mid-level and 15% of first-level managers.
The extra strain imposed by concerns such as managing remote teams and addressing the physical and mental health ramifications of Covid on employees, has driven many to consider leaving their positions.
Nearly half (46%) of HR directors polled in early 2021 reported that managers and directors were leaving their firms at a faster rate than entry-level employees, while turnover among CEOs – which plummeted in 2020 as companies sought stability amid the turmoil – jumped nearly 20% in February 2021.
Senior executives struggling to manage
Many senior executives are struggling to effectively motivate and manage employees who are increasingly ‘quiet quitting’, working in ‘goblin mode’, or struggling to balance their work and life commitments in hybrid working arrangements.
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They are also navigating global issues including high energy prices, surging inflation, and the effect of slow economic growth on their businesses.
Executives also have fewer people watching over and supporting them, despite looking after employees and increasing their own burden during lockdowns.
My experience is that few chairs and NEDs (non-executive director) show much interest in their senior executives’ wellbeing.
One managing director, for example, said to me: “We were told that the pandemic would last three weeks, we thought 2021 would be the year, a war started in 2022, there has been no recovery time.”
The effect on mental health
People at c-suite level are more prone to issues with their mental health; 53% of executives are struggling with mental health issues, compared to 45% in the wider workforce.
Jennifer Moss, author of ‘The Burnout Epidemic’ has also pointed out that executives disproportionately suffer from burnout because of their high-achieving personalities, isolation and stoicism.
Chronic fatigue, high levels of self-criticism and behaviour that is contrary to personal leadership ideals are some of the ways burnout can manifest itself. High alcohol intake, sleep deprivation, poor diet or loss of appetite are also signs of burnout.
Chronic fatigue, high levels of self-criticism and behaviour that is contrary to personal leadership ideals are some of the ways burnout can manifest itself.”
Take the well-known example of Antonio Horta-Osório, formerly group CEO at Lloyds Banking Group, who went through a personal crisis a few months after he joined the bank in 2011.
He was forced to spend nine days at the Priory clinic, triggered by a period of prolonged insomnia. He was absent from one of the most high-profile roles in banking for almost two months and news of his sudden departure triggered a 5% fall in Lloyds’ share price.
This was at a time when Lloyds, which had been bailed out with £20bn of taxpayers’ money in the 2008-09 financial crisis, was still in a perilous state. Had he acted sooner rather than continued under impossible pressure, the collapse of the share price and his own mental health could have perhaps been avoided.
Engaging senior executives in wellbeing
While Horta-Osório might seem an extreme example, the reality is that the effect of ill health at c-suite level is so much greater because of the extent of their influence and contribution.
Costs can mount quickly when the CEO of a large company departs suddenly without an obvious internal replacement. The typical seven-figure severance package and six-figure retainer for an executive search firm are just the beginning.
A small army of professionals – all of whom charge by the hour – begins to mobilise: communications consultants and employment lawyers, movers and relocation experts.
And those are just the hard, easily quantifiable impacts; they pale in comparison to the less visible costs. Turmoil at the top can filter down through an organisation, slamming the brakes on growth initiatives, hindering the closing of vital deals, and causing valued employees to start looking for new positions elsewhere.
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There is a clear business case for investing in senior executive wellbeing:
- Performance is improved. Being active, for example, helps people handle stress better.
- By prioritising their own wellbeing, executives send a message to the whole organisation. Adopting healthier behaviours encourages others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of increased productivity and happiness.
- There is a causal, not correlational relationship between wellbeing and profitability. Employee unhappiness can bring about a 13% drop in sales, for example, according to research quoted in The Burnout Epidemic.
Employee wellbeing programmes should not ignore the needs of c-suite executives, managing directors, or anybody else in a senior position. Doing so could have a detrimental effect on a business, and sends a message that suggests health and wellbeing is not important to an organisation.
