The Indian Express recently reported on the inaugural Asia Pacific edition of the ‘Staying@Work’survey, conducted by professional services company, Towers Watson. The survey found that stress is the number one lifestyle risk factor in India and that the problem is only getting worse.
It is important to note that this survey addressed the experiences of skilled workers in India, a small portion of the Indian workforce that has enjoyed many of the benefits of India’s economic growth over the past three decades.
India has faced decades of double-digit growth in wages for skilled labor and competition from countries like the Philippines. That, plus the fact that their higher-education system is not generating enough talent to meet the demand for higher skill have come together to create conditions where skilled employees must stay especially competitive in the services they provide. Part of the solution may be for management to pay attention to improving the employee experience, particularly by reducing stress, which will keep their employees more focused and productive.
The Indian employees surveyed listed their top three workplace stressors as:
1. Unclear or conflicting job expectations
2. Inadequate staffing (lack of support, uneven workload in group)
3. Lack of work-life balance.
A positive finding for Indian employers was that they fared better than their Asia Pacific counterparts in managing employees’ work related stress. One of the most common solutions adopted by employers to manage employees’ stress is offering flexible working hours, with 50% of the surveyed employers reporting they did so. Other top solutions adopted by employers included workshops in yoga and tai chi, and campaigns to educate employees about stress management techniques.
Though Indian employers are ahead of their regional peers in managing stress at workplace, only 38 percent have identified stress management at workplace as a top priority of their health and productivity programs. With so much room to grow, stress management initiatives will likely be an increasing trend in Indian management.
Certain aspects of India’s hierarchical culture may make it more prone to stressful work environments by impeding the flow of communication. One of the ways to alleviate this is for managers – both foreign and domestic –to always clarify roles and expectations from the get-go and be aware of the tendency for very indirect communication among Indian nationals. Your colleagues and employees may hesitate to say “No” for fear of disappointing or angering a leader. Make sure you communicate deadlines and do regular check-ins with your Indian coworkers to make sure everyone is clear about their role and feels comfortable discussing any challenges along the way.
Do you have experience working in India? Did you find it more stressful than other locations? What cultural challenges did you face and how did you navigate them to stay productive?
