Kathleen Hogan, Chief People Officer & EVP, Human Resources at Microsoft, states "Data tells us loud and clear that employees are struggling. Between the pandemic, social and global unrest, and the growing mental health challenges, we’re facing a worldwide crisis of human energy. Addressing the Human Energy Crisis is a business imperative, and one that will require us to think in new ways about employee wellbeing and impact, so that we create environments where employees can thrive."

There is a need to support and measure employee wellness.

Areas of focus:

• What makes work meaningful?

• What processes can you put in place to foster meaningful work?

• Management trends

• What can managers do to make work more meaningful?

• Environmental trends

• What can be done to the workplace environment to make work more meaningful?

• Process trends

• How can processes support meaningful work?

• What can be done from an operational standpoint to support meaningful work

The final deliverables should take the form of:

• A final report - based on the 4 areas of focus
• A 30-minute presentation

Students can connect directly with the employer for mentorship and supervision throughout the project.

Below are some helpful articles/podcasts as some initial pre-reading:

• Why Leaders Can't Ignore the Human Energy Crisis
• Mental Health Has Become a Business Imperative
• Why Every Leader Needs to Worry About Toxic Culture
• Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation