In the face of rising workplace stress, stagnant engagement, and shifting social expectations, businesses are being called to reimagine success, not just by the numbers, but by the social value they deliver.

 

Our recent webinar, Profit with Purpose: Measuring the Value of Social Impact, explored how and why organisations must embed social impact measurement into their operational DNA.

 

Hosted by Emma Walsh, Founder of Family Friendly Workplaces and CEO of Parents At Work, with insights from Claire de Carteret, Managing Director of Gallup APAC, and Sarah Cleasby, Client Advisory Director at Family Friendly Workplaces, the session highlighted that organisations can no longer afford to treat social impact as an afterthought or a compliance task, it’s about transforming HR and wellbeing policies into measurable drivers of resilience, employee retention, and financial performance.

 

“This is a moment for business and government to really come together and invest in greater family-friendly policies to make Australia not just one of the best places to live and work, but to care for family as well.”  – Emma Walsh

 

The State of Work: Disengagement Up, Thriving Down

 

While Australia is often celebrated as one of the best places to live, it falls short in supporting working families. The toll is real: rising stress, declining wellbeing, and persistent gender inequality.

 

Claire de Carteret opened the session with fresh findings from the 2025 Gallup State of the Global Workplace Report, and the stats were as sobering as they were urgent.

 

• Just 23% of employees in Australia and New Zealand are engaged at work – despite a slight uptick, we remain well below where we need to be.
• Thriving is at a 10-year low, with only 56% of workers in the region reporting high wellbeing.
• Daily stress is up to 49% for Australians – up from 47% last year.
• And a staggering 42% of employees say they’re looking to leave their job in the next 12 months.

 

“This isn’t just about productivity  – it’s a warning light on the dashboard of our workforce. When people stop thriving, organisations start slipping.” – Claire de Carteret

 

Claire made a strong case for redefining work itself – from a space of “toil and drudgery” to one of purpose, contribution and community. She emphasised that disengagement is as damaging to mental health as unemployment, and its ripple effects stretch far beyond the workplace, into homes and communities.

 

The implications are widespread: productivity drops, people leave, and relationships both personal and professional suffer.

 

“When people can’t thrive, neither can our workplaces, communities, or our economy.”  – Emma Walsh

 

Time to Reimagine Leadership

 

One of the most powerful takeaways? The manager is everything.

 

“Seventy percent of the employee experience comes down to the manager,” Claire noted. “And yet less than half of managers globally receive any training.”

 

With stress and burnout on the rise, particularly among female and older managers, it’s clear that the traditional boss role is becoming obsolete. What’s needed now is a coach: someone who can connect, care, and cultivate resilience.

 

Emma Walsh echoed the call for better support: “Managers today are expected to deliver business outcomes and be wellbeing champions – often without the tools. We need to rethink leadership development as a frontline ESG strategy.”

 

Thriving Workplaces “Measure What They Treasure”

 

So what sets thriving workplaces apart?

 

According to Claire, they don’t guess – they measure.

 

High-performing organisations treat their “emotional economy” – how people feel, thrive, and engage – with the same rigour as financial data. They:

 

• Track thriving, stress, and engagement over time.
• Use tools like Gallup’s Q12 and psychosocial risk scans.
• Embed these metrics into board reporting and executive scorecards.
• Train leaders to act on the data, not just file it.

 

“Think of your thriving score as the new stock price. It’s the emotional economy of your organisation and it’s predictive of future performance. When thriving drops, it’s a leading indicator that something’s broken – not just culturally, but commercially.” – Claire de Carteret

 

Claire referenced powerful examples, including how declines in thriving preceded major global events like Brexit and the U.S. 2016 election, highlighting the predictive power of wellbeing data.

 

“This is nation-building work. So much of it starts with values-driven leadership and a commitment to really measuring what matters.” – Emma Walsh

 

The Evolving Role of HR

 

With social impact becoming a defining element of ESG strategies, HR leaders are now strategic advisors in measuring what matters.

 

“If we can reframe social impact metrics from being ‘a survey’ to being ‘a predictive barometer of business health’, we can make real change.” – Claire de Carteret

 

HR teams are in the position to identify risks, advise the C-suite, and design targeted interventions that align culture, compliance, and care. It is important to recognise the role they play in measuring, and magnifying, social value.

 

“Social impact used to be a nice-to-have,” said Claire. “Now it’s a commercial imperative. And HR is the bridge – translating people data into strategic decisions.”

 

Turning Insight into Action: The FFW Framework

 

To effectively measure social impact, businesses can adopt the Family Friendly Workplaces certification, a pioneering framework co-developed by UNICEF Australia and Parents At Work.

 

This certification assesses organisations against the Global Work + Family Standards, which encompass key areas such as flexible work arrangements, parental leave, family care support, employee wellbeing, inclusive leadership, and robust measurement practices.

 

As Sarah Cleasby, Client Advisory Director at Family Friendly Workplaces, states:

 

“We all belong to a family, however we define it. Family-friendly workplaces aren’t just about supporting parents, they’re about supporting everyone.”

 

Organisations that have achieved this certification are already witnessing tangible benefits. Notably, 65% of employees in certified FFW organisations report being satisfied with their work-life balance — 7 percentage points higher than in non-certified companies (2024 National Working Families Report).

 

That’s not just a feel-good metric. It links directly to higher retention, greater engagement, and stronger business performance.

 

Your Next Step: Get Benchmarked

 

For those looking to start the journey, benchmarking your policies against the Global Work + Family Standards is an easy first step.  The online assessment is free and should only take 15 – 20 minutes with a good understanding of your policies and practices.

 

Benchmark your organisation for free today.

 

Want to watch the recording of the session? View now.

 

Join a growing network of certified Family Friendly Workplaces committed to measuring and living their social impact. Because ultimately, profit and purpose aren’t opposing forces; they’re partners in sustainable success.