Empathy at work has become one of the most valuable employee skills, and not just for leaders. Employees who demonstrate empathy communicate more effectively, collaborate better, resolve conflicts faster, and help create a more positive workplace culture.
While empathy is often discussed as an essential leadership trait, it is equally important across the workforce. Whether employees manage people or contribute as individual team members, they influence the experiences of colleagues, customers, and business partners every day.
In today’s workplace, where employees may be navigating personal stress, heavy workloads, remote work challenges, and constant change, empathy can help strengthen relationships and improve teamwork.
In this article, we’ll look at
What is empathy at work?
Empathy at work is the ability to understand another person’s perspective, emotions, needs, or experiences and respond with understanding and respect. It allows employees to build stronger relationships, communicate more effectively, and collaborate more successfully.
Empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s:
- Thoughts
- Feelings
- Experiences
- Viewpoints
- Needs
- Preferences
In other words, an empathetic employee is able to put themselves in another person’s shoes and grasp their perspective and express genuine care and concern for this individual.
And empathy doesn’t mean agreement.
An employee can acknowledge and understand a colleague’s perspective without necessarily sharing the same opinion. The goal of empathy is understanding, not complete alignment.
Specific qualities are often associated with empathetic employees, such as:
- Good listening skills
- Open-minded
- Respectful
- Team player
- Problem solver
- Compassionate
- High emotional intelligence (EQ)
Why is empathy important in the workplace?
Have you heard the phrase, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about?”
All employees have worries and stressors in their lives that they bring into and encounter within the workplace.
Today’s employees face a range of personal and professional challenges, including economic uncertainty, changing workplace expectations, heavy workloads and ongoing global events. As a result, empathy has become increasingly important for maintaining healthy relationships and productive teamwork.
There seem to be more factors at play pushing people apart and emphasizing their differences than bringing them together to establish commonalities and connections.
At the same time, the rise of remote and hybrid work has blurred the boundaries between professional and personal worlds. These circumstances have allowed employees’ personal issues and stressors to bleed into the workplace as never before. And for hybrid and remote employees, it can feel like workloads have increased and they’re never off the clock.
In short, empathy is becoming a popular concept because we all could use a lot more of it as we try to achieve work-life balance and personal wellbeing against a backdrop of increased stress, isolation, division and the turmoil that comes with constant change.
When employees need empathy most
Empathy can make a meaningful difference during everyday workplace interactions, but it becomes especially important during challenging circumstances.
For example:
“What’s wrong with this person? Why are they acting this way?”
“This person always seems distracted. They’re so lazy and don’t care.”
“I don’t understand why this person thinks this way. What a terrible idea.”
“This person probably doesn’t like me. I’m going to avoid them and disengage.”
“Why does this person always need help? Can’t they carry their own weight?”
Many workplace scenarios call for employees to demonstrate empathy toward each other.
Sometimes, employees simply struggle with the day-to-day stress of balancing high workloads and feeling overwhelmed and burned out.
Other times, empathy is warranted in more delicate situations, including:
- An employee grieving a loss
- An employee dealing with an illness or caring for someone with an illness
- Unexpected personal crisis
- Conflicts between co-workers who don’t see eye to eye on an issue or how to conduct a work assignment
- An employee getting passed over for a promotion – or even being demoted
- The prospect of layoffs
Benefits of empathy at work
When employees take time to understand each other’s challenges and perspectives, organizations benefit in several ways.
- Enhance communication with team members and ward off misunderstandings
- Resolve conflicts faster and mitigate hurt feelings
- Improve team dynamics and cohesion
- Forge new connections and strengthen existing relationships with co-workers
- Encourage diversity and inclusion
- Reinforce a culture of caring, which is linked to improved productivity, morale and retention
Tips to help employees practice empathy at work
So, what does it actually look like for employees to practice empathy with each other? Here are some easy ways to incorporate empathy into a daily routine.
1. Assume positive intent
When you don’t fully understand a colleague’s behavior or perspective, avoid jumping to conclusions. Most workplace misunderstandings happen when people make assumptions without knowing the full story. Approaching others with curiosity instead of judgment can help build trust and strengthen relationships.
2. Listen more than you speak
When a team member discusses a challenge they’re experiencing, don’t interrupt them with tales of how you experienced something similar or offer unsolicited advice for what you think they should do. Sometimes, people just want to be heard and understood.
In these moments, practice active listening skills, which involves:
- Focusing on what is being said
- Making eye contact
- Acknowledging what someone has said by repeating it back or requesting clarification on certain points
- Avoiding nonverbal communication that could convey a lack of interest, such as fidgeting
- Minimizing distractions
3. Ask thoughtful questions
Instead of relying on assumptions, ask respectful questions that help you better understand another person’s experience or perspective. Questions create opportunities for dialogue and can reveal important context that might otherwise be missed.
4. Validate others’ feelings
Show that you recognize and understand what others are feeling, which is a critical part of conveying nonjudgment and building trust. You can say things like, “I’m sorry you’re experiencing this problem. I’m sure it must be so frustrating. I appreciate your letting me know what’s going on.”
5. Step outside your comfort zone
Your biases can impact how you perceive others, especially those team members of different backgrounds and experiences. Remember: Different doesn’t equate with wrong or bad. To be more empathetic, you may just need to open yourself up to new experiences and broaden your way of thinking.
- Be open to meeting new people in the office – even seeking out people who are different from you.
- Consider others’ ideas and learn from them.
- Challenge your own biases.
6. Offer to help
One of the questions you should ask a team member who’s struggling is, “How can I help you?” For example, if they’re overwhelmed with their current workload, you could take some responsibilities off their plate or volunteer to serve as their back-up. This also demonstrates that you’re a team player.
7. Recognize others’ accomplishments or strengths
When people feel valued, it can help them overcome a challenge or setback. To remind team members of their worth, use peer recognition. Call them out in front of others for their:
- Talents they bring to the table
- Goals they’ve met
- Achievements they’ve secured
- Hard work
8. Take care of yourself
You can’t be empathetic to others if you’re stressed out, in a negative mindset and not taking care of yourself. Prioritize your wellbeing and work-life balance so you’re most likely to engage team members in a respectful and productive way.
Summing it all up
Empathy is more than a leadership skill. It’s a workplace skill that benefits employees at every level of an organization. By taking the time to understand others’ experiences, perspectives, and challenges, employees can communicate more effectively, build stronger relationships, and create a more supportive work environment.
Whether it’s listening actively, assuming positive intent, offering help, or recognizing others’ contributions, small acts of empathy can have a significant impact on team performance, employee wellbeing, and organizational culture.
To continue learning more about creating a positive culture focused on people’s wellbeing, download our free magazine: The Insperity guide to employee engagement.
What is empathy in the workplace?
Empathy in the workplace is the ability to understand and appreciate another person’s feelings, experiences and perspective while responding with respect and understanding.
Why is empathy important at work?
Can empathy be learned?
Is empathy only important for managers?
What’s the difference between empathy and sympathy?