Can higher emotional intelligence reverse Sri Lanka’s turnover-turmoil?

• By  Mimi Nicklin

Empathy in the workplace builds the kind of strong company culture and employee engagement that organisations urgently need to succeed." This quote from the O.C. Tanner  Institute's Global Culture Report highlights the critical impact that empathy, and higher  levels of emotional intelligence, can have on Sri Lankan businesses if we are to continue our  turnaround to growth. These skillsets, that drive connection organisation-wide and motivate staff  to stay and thrive in their roles, are crucial for the work environments that today’s staff demand.  Can they cease the so-called “brain drain” being spoken about across Colombo? Probably not  entirely, but they are proven to overtly reduce employee turnover, drive tenure and improve staff  loyalty. 

So, how can empathy and emotional intelligence help combat the employee ‘turnover-turmoil’  that so many of our businesses are facing? Ample research shows that empathy, delivered by  better listening skills within leadership teams, positively impacts employee engagement and  retention, and that 70%+ of employees who experience understanding from their leaders at  work (who listen and are interested in the value, opinion and perspective of employees) report  being committed to their workplace (Business Solver Report 2023). Additionally, organisations  with higher empathy have 35-50% less employee turnover than their less empathetic peers,  according to Harvard Business Review.  

This organisational skillset, empathy, is still under-acknowledged in leadership circles locally but  this is changing as training programs and interventions heat up with the Colombo’s largest  businesses and export brands investing into training development for their staff. When applied  in the workplace, this elevated employee understanding (organisational empathy) drives a more  sustainable high performance, innovation-led environment, which in turn is leading to  employees who feel that they are valued and are therefore more likely to stay with the company  and contribute to its success. Empathy, which forms part of the emotional intelligence skillset,  enables individuals to better understand their colleagues, managers and stakeholders and  achieve their performance requirements. It improves relationships and communication, and  leads to better conflict resolution and collaboration. 

So, what can Sri Lankan employers and employees do to incorporate empathy and emotional  intelligence in the workplace? Firstly, companies can prioritise employee training in conflict  resolution, inclusive communication and active-listening skills. This provides the fastest steps to  impact. Employers can also review how they are building collaborative environments that are  fostered by a culture of teamwork and open dialogue and that they are offering employee  benefits that go beyond a pay check. 

Domestically and globally, incorporating empathy and emotional intelligence has been proven  to significantly reduce employee turnover, all that remains is to ensure that our leaders across  the island know how to activate this. The ways we did things yesteryear may hold great value in  many forms, but the way we communicate and reward teams today requires a shift in approach.  Put simply, if you are not keeping up, you won’t keep your staff either.