One on One with Gallup's Tom Rath

In 2010, Gallup launched a new consulting division focused on the wellbeing of the nation's workforce. The research on this topic is quite clear: A work force's wellbeing has a direct impact on an organization's bottom line. Across industries, the average sick day costs an employer about $200 in lost productivity. To better understand the findings, and to learn the implications for consulting firms, Consulting's One on One sat down with Tom Rath, Gallup's Global Practice Leader and co-author of the book Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements (Gallup Press, May 2010), which is based on the firm's research.

Consulting: Gallup is so well known for your presidential polling, does that reputation pose problems when trying to sell consulting work?

Rath: I don't think most people know the breadth of what we do. Most people associate us with public opinion surveys. But we actually track more than that. Every night, we survey about 1,000 people across 150 countries. We ask what they're thinking about—from politics to their wellbeing. Beyond that, most don't know that our largest business line is consulting. Specifically, we help organizations better engage with their employees and clients. We also help with employment and leadership selection.