Ensuring the Wellbeing of Your Employees*

*This is a collaborative post*

Employee wellbeing is essential for running a successful and longstanding company. If your employees are unhappy or dissatisfied for whatever reason, this means that your company will almost definitely suffer, or never reach its full potential. A little bit more planning, organisation, or communication, can make all the difference. If one employee is unhappy, this can affect their productivity and quality of work. This has knock on effects for the people around them and the department, and pressure can go up to improve, and so the problem can escalate. Giving a bit more though to employee wellbeing and satisfaction, can have a tremendous impact. This can ensure employees want to stay on and remain loyal to the company, and ensures you have a skilled and high quality workforce. Here are some ideas about how to promote the happiness of the people who work for you, and some ideas about what changes you can implement to make this happen.

Prospects

If people feel they are working towards a promotion, or extra benefits and recognition where they work, they will work their hardest. They will put in much more effort and produce a much higher quality of work than someone who does not see any longevity in their current work. This doesn’t even have to mean a promotion, although everyone desires this option of bettering themselves. Perhaps giving them more input and decision making in their department. Or perhaps letting them do more creative or exciting projects in the future. This lets your employees know they are valued, and that their efforts and hard work are being noticed. If they feel they are putting in many extra hours and this goes unrecognised, this can sometimes have the opposite of the desired effect. There is a fine balance to get right.

Communication

It can  be very beneficial to everyone if everyone is kept informed about any issues, upcoming projects, or general information about the company. This can even be extended to letting your employees have an input into decisions or letting them suggest solutions. They could well be the best people to ask too, as they know how your company is ran and  how this could be improved. This could also offer you far more solutions to problems, if everyone can have a say. Diversifying decision making, or just keeping everyone informed to avoid misinformation, can be beneficial to everyone.

Varying Work

In larger companies especially, employees are often confined to doing one job repetively day in and day out. Although this might be very productive, there are limits to this method. Repetition can soon become dull and means that your staff could lose interest, and as a result underperform. This can affect the quality and productivity of your employees, and as a result your business. Meaning this method really isn’t that good, or one that will last. Varying the work of your staff, can keep them interested in the work they do. Sharing roles slightly, or involving them in multiple aspects of the production process, can make them feel more productive. Seeing the outcome as well as the beginnings of a project make the feel they are doing something, and ensures they feel less isolated in their role. Yet another good way to help your company, and keep your employees interested, and challenging them to become better.

Encourage Social and Physical Activities

As well as having a drink at the office party, there are lots of other ideas to let your staff blow off some steam and have some fun. Encouraging socials, sports activities or events can promote the physical and mental health of your staff. Having fun together helps them to bond as a group, and can even help them to work better as a team when they are at work. A weekly run, badminton tournament, or even a cycle around the local park, can be great for wellbeing and building rapport. It can be good to show your face as a manager, and perhaps with the informal environment you can get an insight to the individuals that make up your company. Encouraging other activities that promote physical fitness, like cycling to work for example, can also be beneficial. There are many cycle to work schemes and offers that your company can get involved with.

Counselling Services

Sometimes your employees might need a bit more care and attention to ensure their wellbeing. Including services such as employee assistance programmes can ensure that your staff get short or long term help if they need it. These kind of services offer help with family issues, economic worries, or general mental health through things like in person counselling. Mental health can affect anyone at anytime, so it is essential that your company has the tools to help those in need. Offering services such as these can help you to keep on valued employees, and shows concern for their wellbeing. Having staff who can talk to someone impartial about any kind of issue, can help promote peace of mind, so they can function in their everyday life.

Putting in More Effort With Your Staff

It can be easy to not show your face, or even interact much with the people who work for you. However, making sue you do at least have the occasion chat, or ask after your staff, helps for them to see you in a positive and human way. Not doing so could result in resentful attitudes, or misinterpreting you, your role, or the things you say. Talking directly to your staff about issues they have, or ideally spending time with the outside the office and building good team qualities.

There are many ways you can improve the wellbeing of your staff. Offering counselling services is great help to get your staff on the way to better mental health and functioning better at work. Putting in some more effort with the people who work for you, and building healthy work relations, can make work so much more enjoyable. Try some of these ideas out at work, and see the benefits it can have for everyone.

*Contributed by Sam Jones

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