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I used to treat my morning commute as a zone for personal transformation. By the time I walked in the front door of my office, I'd left most of my personal interests and beliefs behind and was ready to work without burdening my job with my true self. The drive home was equally transformative as I listened to music or sports talk and got ready to go to a basketball game or enjoy time with my wife. I was one person living two different lives.
The days when I didn’t have the energy to keep up the ruse were the toughest. Not being able to bring your whole self to work can create serious challenges.
I’d like to believe organizations have evolved, but it’s clear authenticity at work remains an issue.
The Impact of Authenticity
Authenticity has become a bit of a buzzword over the last few years. In simple terms, authenticity just means that employees can come to work being their genuine and true selves. It might also mean you’re just comfortable in your skin without having to put on a front or feel like you need to act a certain way to fit in.
An overwhelming majority of people still don’t feel comfortable being themselves in the workplace, according to research conducted in 2022. Specifically, seven in 10 employees reported adopting a different personality at work. The same research also found that those people who could come to work authentically stayed longer and performed better than the people who couldn’t.
Authenticity can have downsides. When we ask people to be themselves, they potentially will open themselves up to existing biases and create a new set of challenges for themselves. One well-documented example of this is the “Angry Black Woman” stereotype in the workplace. If you’re part of an underrepresented group, being your authentic self can feel like a risk. And it is.
One of the ways we can allow everyone to experience authenticity in the workplace is to work to reduce bias. When people feel like they won’t be labeled or punished for simply being themselves, it’s a lot more effective than just asking someone to take an unwarranted risk. It’s not easy, but doing this work has lasting effects beyond just increasing authenticity.
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Authenticity in a Hybrid and Remote World
It might also feel more challenging to bring your full self to work if you work from home or only occasionally see colleagues in person.
One of the few positives that came out of the pandemic was the slight blurring of lines between work and the rest of your life. Many of us were beamed into each others’ kitchens or spare bedrooms. I remember a long-time client who first learned I had a daughter when she interrupted our chat to ask for help getting logged into her class. My daughter was six at the time. I guess I had never mentioned it.
As we’ve settled into a more normal work-from-home or hybrid work arrangement, people have worried about how they can foster authenticity in this new working model. The good news is that organizations can do it, regardless of how many hours people spend at home versus in the office.
Research by Slalom’s HabLab with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Neuroscience Initiative has shown that with some tweaks to how we use technology, we can create virtual relationships that are on par with in-person relationships, at least as far as our brain is concerned.
Some of the findings suggested that reducing back-to-back meetings, encouraging breaks away from technology, and creating space before or after meetings can promote connection.
Real relationships, whether cultivated digitally or in person, are critical to building the trust needed to bring a person’s authentic self to work. Knowing your coworkers means more comfort in knowing that your authenticity won’t hurt you professionally.
Related Article: Here's What Inclusive Leaders Do to Build More Confident Individuals and Teams
How Else Can Technology Help?
Technology can support efforts to build an authentic workforce in a number of ways. One way is to adopt communication tools that allow people to connect in multi-modal ways. Some people want to chat via video, others might prefer to only listen without any video distractions, while still others prefer communicating via writing or reading.
Turning on accessibility features like live closed captioning or using meeting summary tools like Fireflies.ai can allow people to participate fully in conversations the way they prefer while still getting a rich experience.
Recognition at work also plays a part here. Giving and receiving recognition authentically is critical to the success of these initiatives. Allowing public and private praise, videos, rewards and written recognition are all keys to making the experience feel more personal and genuine.
Well-being technologies might help as well. Whether it’s feeling well physically or mentally, these tools can encourage people to take care of themselves so they are better equipped to show up authentically.
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Regardless of how you encourage authenticity, it’s worth it for employees. Feeling like you can come to work as you are means you can devote more of your energy and creativity to the work that needs to be done, rather than keeping up a facade. And we can agree that’s a win for everyone.
