NeuroLeadership Institute Releases Special COVID-19 Report Highlighting Specific Recommendations for Employers in the Evolving Workplace

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The NeuroLeadership Institute (NLI), a cognitive science consultancy dedicated to making organizations better for humans through science, released a new research report about the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees. Based on a survey of 688 working professionals across a variety of industries, the report provides insights into how changes in the workplace have led to the emergence of specific psychological needs by employees. It also offers a checklist for organizations that want to strengthen employees' confidence and optimism by addressing these needs. 

The report titled, "The Mind in Crisis: Understanding Employees' Needs in a Changed Workplace," includes these key findings:

• Anxiety was a widespread phenomenon: 50% of survey respondents reported increasing anxiety levels from one week to the next. For participants who worked remotely one factor that reduced their anxiety was feeling like they were part of a team.
• Analyses showed that 77% of employees consider their organization's response measures as reasonable and suggest that specific practices such as high transparency about decisions being made, providing clarity about how employees can support their organization during the crisis, as well as leaders' role modeling of the needed behaviors significantly increase employees' confidence in their organizations. 
• Only 37% of survey respondents currently consider the decision-making processes in their organizations are transparent, whereas top leaders in the study were significantly more likely to agree that their organization is indeed transparent - compared to all other employees.

By offering the learnings of their study, NLI is hoping to increase awareness of the idiosyncratic nature of the pandemic's psychological effects, and effectively address and support employees impacted by this unprecedented event as it continues to disrupt the way we work. The study concludes that in addition to the risk of continued uncertainty, anxiety and mental health challenges, the risk of lower productivity also presents itself and for the sake of organizational health, cannot be ignored.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds and we continue getting used to the 'new normal,' we're excited to share our findings on what organizations can do to best support their workforce during these unprecedented times," said Dr. David Rock, co-founder and CEO at NLI. "Having an exceptional team of researchers working diligently on these issues has been essential to understanding how leaders can support and maintain organizational health, which has been an incredible opportunity for us to make a difference and effect change."

For the full report, download here.

About The NeuroLeadership Institute

The NeuroLeadership Institute (NLI) is a global neuroscience-backed research-based consultancy and the pioneer of bringing neuroscience to leadership. Since its inception, over 20 years ago, the Institute has united the world's foremost neuroscientists, leadership researchers, and organizational practitioners with the purpose of transforming how we think, develop, and perform. With offices in New York City, London, and Sydney NLI is a strategic advisor to hundreds of leading global organizations including more than 50 of Fortune 100 companies.

SOURCE NeuroLeadership Institute