The Value of Authenticity

At work, it can sometimes be difficult to bring your authentic self. Especially in more traditional office environments, workers may adopt a certain level of detachment—maybe they’re reluctant to share details of their personal life with colleagues for fear of potential judgment. Maybe their workplace doesn’t value input from employees on how the organization operates.

Whatever the reason for this difficulty, being authentic at work takes a certain amount of courage. According to research by Dr. Patricia Faison Hewlin, a professor of organizational behavior at McGill University, about a third of employees in North America feel pressure to suppress their personal values at work, prompted by fears of missing out on promotions for emphasizing time with family and backlash from pointing out workplace inequities to company leaders among other concerns. This illustrates the importance of a work environment where people can be themselves, as a consistent level of pressure negatively impacts not only productivity, but also the mental health and overall well-being of workers.

Studies show a clear link between authenticity and increased happiness at work. Employees who feel they can be themselves at work report higher satisfaction in their roles, a stronger sense of community and lower stress. Authenticity boosts productivity, as people exert their energy on their work versus self-censorship or navigating the emotional labyrinth of a high-pressure environment. Employees also reported that being genuine at work leads to better, stronger colleague and client relationships with greater collaboration and higher levels of trust.

How can a workplace encourage this kind of culture? To bolster authenticity, employers should lead by example. Workplace leaders who admit when they’re wrong, are forthright about business problems and remain true to their beliefs give permission to their teams to do the same. In addition to this kind of leadership, by responding positively to employee expressions of authenticity, leaders can facilitate an open environment that values a variety of perspectives and accepts people for who they are, empowering employees and increasing engagement with their work.

Beyond building a better work culture, authenticity also makes your workplace more competitive in attracting top talent. The American Psychological Association found that organizations hire and retain better workers when their recruitment strategies emphasize authenticity as a workplace value. For most of us, this likely isn’t a surprise. Especially given the world-historic psychological wounding brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have a rare opportunity to create better experiences for everyone. Above all, the inherent value of people and their individual experiences should inform how we think about our work.

We’ve got a chance to build a better approach to work going forward—employers who squander this opportunity do so at their own risk.