Mind the Gap: Why spiritual health matters for Gen Z

CURATED READS FOR GEN Z—AND THEIR Z-CURIOUS COLLEAGUES

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Brought to you by Liz Hilton Segel, chief client officer and managing partner, global industry practices, & Homayoun Hatami, managing partner, global client capabilities

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An image linking to the web page “In search of self and something bigger: A spiritual health exploration” on McKinsey.com.

Welcome back! This week, we’re talking about Gen Z and spiritual health, the cost of silence at work, and the valuable employees likely to leave their jobs.

Gen Zers are known for being purpose-driven at work. But finding that purpose in their own lives is more difficult.

That feeling may contribute to the cohort’s relatively poor spiritual health, which in turn is associated with all other kinds of health—mental, physical, and social. A new McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) survey, led by McKinsey partners Erica Coe and Kana Enomoto, finds that most people of all ages across 26 countries said that spiritual health is “somewhat to extremely important to them.” Unfortunately, Gen Zers report the lowest levels of spiritual health among all respondents.

What is spiritual health? Its definition is broader than religion, encompassing the meaning in one’s life, a broad sense of connection to something larger than oneself, and a strong sense of purpose, Coe and team write. This dimension of health can be strengthened through community or a calling. (Spiritual health is viewed differently across the world. For example, in higher-income economies, people were half as likely as those in lower- or middle-income economies to say spiritual health was extremely important.)

Wait, why is McKinsey writing about spiritual health? MHI, the non-profit-generating entity within McKinsey that conducted the research, takes a holistic approach to defining health, which encompasses physical, mental, social, and, yes, spiritual health. This POV allows both private and public stakeholders, such as employers and government agencies, as well as individuals, to consider these elements when designing solutions to improve performance and well-being.

What does this have to do with Gen Z employees specifically? In the MHI survey of employees, Gen Zers who report poor spiritual health are about four times less likely to say they have good or very good mental health than those reporting neutral or good spiritual health. In addition, those with poor spiritual health are about two times less likely to report good social or physical health.

A chart titled “Gen Z respondents are the least likely to endorse statements indicating positive spiritual health” on McKinsey.com.

“This may indicate that some employees, regardless of country, are struggling to integrate meaning into their lives and work, which could, in turn, affect their physical, mental, and social health,” write Coe and coauthors.

To be sure, while Gen Zers tend to report worse mental health than older generations, there are several age- and circumstance-specific factors that may affect their responses, in addition to cohort-specific feelings. Plus, Gen Zers are still young—the eldest in the group are only about 27—and many may still be trying to figure out what matters to them in life.

An chart titled “Your individual purpose (that is, where you find meaning) will likely map to some combination of the values below. ” on McKinsey.com.

Gen Zers interested in improving their spiritual health—and, therefore, all other related health factors—can begin by identifying their individual purpose. That’s a daunting task, but one made simpler by starting with basic questions, like, “What brings me joy? What am I good at? What do I care about?” (Mentors, take note.)

Employers interested in fostering a sense of purpose among their employees can consider the following actions:

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If employees are mandated to return to the office, find ways to build connections—through flexible and multiuse spaces—at the office.

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Help employees find purpose by connecting individual tasks to the larger picture. This is especially important for Gen Zers, given that meaningful work is a chief factor they use to determine whether to stay in a job.

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More than two-thirds of Gen Zers in the MHI survey said that a purposeful mission statement and opportunities for pro bono work are “very important” or “important” when it comes to selecting an employer. Employers can make volunteering easier to do, either by offering paid volunteer hours or considering volunteer time as a factor in performance reviews (rewarding those employees who volunteer but not penalizing those who do not).

Even if employees feel they can foster a sense of purpose at work, that goodwill does not override negative elements such as toxic behavior and burnout. It’s also worth noting that plenty of employees do not seek purpose through their work but outside it—for example, by pursuing volunteer activities not connected to their employer, helping family members, seeking community, or all of the above.

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