87% Indian professionals believe sharing emotions at work boosts productivity: Survey

Nearly 9 in 10 Indian professionals believe that showing more emotions at work makes them more productive and boosts staff morale and feelings of belonging, according to a new survey by LinkedIn.

The research also shows that more than 3 in 4 (76%) professionals feel more comfortable expressing their emotions at work post-pandemic. This shift was also observed on LinkedIn, which saw a 28% increase in public conversations. In fact, nearly 63% of survey participants admitted to having cried in front of their boss, with 32% having done so on more than one occasion.

The survey, which included 2,188 professionals, revealed that 90% find that humour is the most underused and undervalued emotion at work. More than 61% of professionals say they want to see more humour at workplaces. However, while 76% say that cracking a joke at work is good for office culture, 56% consider it unprofessional. Globally, Indians and Italians came out as the funniest workers around the world, with 38% cracking a joke at least once a day.

However, nearly 70% Indian professionals still feel that there is a stigma around sharing feelings at work. As a result 27% are worried about expressing their emotions due to a fear of looking weak, 25% due to apprehensions over seeming unprofessional and 25% over being judged. Nearly 79% say that women are judged more than men when they share their emotions.

According to the study, there is also a difference between how different generations express themselves. Around 73% of Gen Z professionals and 79% of millennials say they are comfortable opening up at work, in comparison to just 20% of boomers.

“The past two years have been tumultuous to say the least but have also made people realise that they can be more vulnerable and candid with each other at work,” said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn. “This has become more apparent on LinkedIn, where people are not just talking shop but also expressing how they take care of themselves by setting new boundaries and balancing life with work.”