Professional services giant EY has released the results of a new study into how empathy affects leaders, employees and innovation in the workplace.
The 2021 EY Empathy in Business Survey of over 1,000 US workers found that 55% had left a previous job because their boss wasn't empathetic to their struggles at work.
"As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are working to establish business transformation models to adapt in the new normal," said Steve Payne, EY Americas Vice Chair – Consulting.
"Our research finds that empathy is not only a nice-to-have, but the glue and accelerant for business transformation in the next era of business. Empathy's ability to create a culture of trust and innovation is unmatched, and this previously overlooked trait must be at the forefront of businesses across all industries."
Among the key findings were that 46% of employees felt company attempts to be empathetic were dishonest, with 42% saying that companies don’t follow through on promises.
The top characteristics employees wanted in an empathetic leader included being: