XM Knowledge Base
All of August, Qualtrics is having conversations about wellness. Each week, we’re highlighting different aspects - mental/emotional, social, environmental, and job wellness. In our ongoing efforts to encourage open dialogue, learn from each other, and improve our experiences, our team members have offered their thoughts on what they do to create and maintain wellness in their life.
For the last week of wellness month, we’re focusing on jobs. For many of us, our jobs are a large part of our day-to-day lives. But that doesn’t always mean that the work experience we have is benefitting our wellness. So, what does a healthy, fulfilling job look like for our Qualtricians? And how is our wellness affected by our jobs? We sat down with a number of team members to get a better understanding of how our work culture, roles, and teams play an important part of our well-being, and how we can improve it.
Supporting Wellness In Your Team
You don’t have to be in a leadership role to support wellness in your team. We are all in a position to have a positive impact on our team members; from a friendly conversation, check-in, or simply communicating in a supportive way. What matters is taking part in an environment that values and encourages human connection and understanding.
For Richard, Global Head of Physical Security and Safety, it’s about directly addressing work-life expectations for his team’s culture. “I love to make sure this guidance is well-documented and overly-communicated. If you find yourself frequently working outside of business hours we look at better task prioritization and being more efficient by automating routine tasks. I make sure I’m awarding “comp time” if a member of my team finds themselves working nights or weekends on incident response. We also leverage personal wellness days on our team. We’re not the kind of company that feels the need to meticulously track sick days. We trust managers to take care of their people. If you need time to take care of yourself or your family, just let us know and how we can help.”
That kind of support is evident across all of our teams, with the entire Qualtrics team being encouraged to create and nurture a trusting environment. However, it’s been well-established that when leadership isn’t supportive, then grassroots-level initiatives are less successful. So we see this mentality specifically reinforced in our leadership training. Beyond that, our Leadership Development team focuses on other important features of a supportive culture. Dave uses his role in Leadership Development to create a culture of positivity. “When you teach you learn twice. I try to be as encouraging as I can. I like to ‘Be curious, not judgmental’ (Walt Whitman). I'm attempting to encourage others, to encourage yourself, and just keep learning, that’s all that really matters!”
But the basis of a strong and supportive culture is only possible when it’s grounded on providing respect. Showing respect comes in many forms, but it’s often grounded in simple actions, like Alexandria and Ellie both making a point to respect their team members’ time and working hours. For Alexandria, a Software Test Engineer, it’s about flexibility and kindness. “I make it a goal to show everyone grace. I let people determine their own deadlines, and trust them to let me know if those need to shift. I know life gets in the way sometimes, so I try to make sure I give them that grace anytime I can.” For Ellie, a Product Manager, it’s crucial to respect time zones. “My team is scattered across the world, so we all work different hours. One of the best ways we’ve found to support wellness on our team is to respect those working hours.”
Finding Work/Life Balance
For many, a common goal is to maintain work/life balance. But achieving a harmonious and healthy relationship between your work and personal life often feels out of reach.
We understand that part of that relationship balance involves flexible work times. Blaine, a Software Engineer, says that, “My team and manager are very supportive of me having flexible work hours. My family life often requires my help during the day, and my job allows me to shift around when I do work, which allows me to be there for my family when I need to be. I also really appreciate that sick days are independent of PTO, so that when I am sick, I can just take time to rest and recover without added stress.”
What is often not acknowledged is that it’s okay to treat work/life balance as a process. What works for one person and within one team may vary.
Ellie adds that, “I know that work/life balance won’t always happen on a day-to-day basis, but more over time. However, working remotely has helped me massively in supporting work/life balance. I can take a walk in the middle of the day with my family when I need a break; I can eat lunch with my son; I can log off and already be at home, no time lost to a commute. By having the flexibility to work from home, I can switch back and forth between work and home more seamlessly, integrating the two in a way that works best for me.”
Flexible locations and hours are a big part of our culture, but so are reasonable expectations for our team members’ workloads.
Gina, a Customer Marketing Web Manager, balances her tasks in order to set boundaries with work time. “I aim to set reasonable expectations for myself each week. While I would love to tackle everything on my to-do list, I prioritize the top XX things I must get done each week, and everything else is a bonus. By not over-committing myself, I can celebrate my prioritized accomplishments and I don't get guilted into working absurd hours when new / additional work gets added to my plate.”
We love drive, commitment, and goals, but that should always be balanced with accomplishable levels of work and the ability to pursue personal goals as well.
Your Job’s Role In Your Wellness
Of course because our roles are a big part of our day-to-day lives, it’s important that they contribute to our wellness, not take away from it.
For Jessy, a Product Specialist, her job helps her stay mentally stimulated. “My job plays a major role in my wellness because it’s where I spend the majority of my week and dedicate my time and self to. The transparency, support, and encouragement that has been displayed to me in the small amount of time I have been at Qualtrics has been vital in keeping me stimulated and wanting to keep learning and growing with this company. Being happy in one’s workplace is essential for wellness and I am so grateful to be able to share this through MosaiQ. This Q Group is one of the many things that plays a role in my job wellness as it keeps an open door for more transparency, inclusion, and connection within our Qualtrics community.”
For others, their job is an opportunity for a sense of purpose. Sandrine, a Learning Experience Designer, says that her role, “Creates a different sense of purpose and problem solving that helps me outlet energy creatively and productively. But, just like anything in life, you get out as much as you put in.”
Similar to what Sandrine says, we believe that we get out of our team members what we put into them. We prioritize flexible work schedules, time for family and personal life, respecting work hours, and a connected, communicative, and supportive community. It’s crucial that we continue to improve and maintain a work culture and environment that fosters a well-rounded life, healthy team relationships, and personal/career fulfillment.