How you can bring wellbeing into your workplace
By Fay Capstick
Wellbeing is super important for everyone. This includes in the workplace, where people spend a huge chunk of their adult waking hours. This week we will look at how you can help improve the wellbeing of your team in the workplace and the benefits it can bring to you and them.
Be inclusive!
No one wants to feel that they don’t fit in or that their differences aren’t accepted. Plus, everyone wants to feel that their different opinions, worldviews, and experiences can make a difference and will be heard. Celebrate your staff and their differences and you will create a feeling of wellbeing and belonging in your team.
Security
The economy and the world always seem to be facing a fresh economic crisis. At the moment, there is uncertainty surrounding the impact that AI might have on jobs worldwide. However, it is mega important that your staff feel secure in their employment. This means that they can make plans in their lives and work towards major events, like home-buying, in their personal lives.
Be Flexible
Flexible working will massively help most employees, even if they don’t take advantage of it immediately. Just knowing that if their life circumstances shifted (for example, needing to do the school run, taking on caring duties, or having health problems of their own) they could tweak their working hours without a problem will promote a sense of wellbeing. It will also work to make employees more loyal to their team and employer.
Recognition
No one wants to feel that their efforts and achievements have been overlooked. Recognise the performance, efforts, ideas, and contributions of your team and staff. Even if your company isn’t able to make monetary or gift gestures, most people will find more value in the recognition than anything else. No one wants to feel like their striving is pointless or that their efforts go unnoticed, so notice and tell your team that you have noticed.
Talk to each other!
Are your team and managers connected? Are there genuine bonds, communciation channels, and friendships? A team and company that feels connected to each other, that has better relationships, will have better wellbeing. This will give your company a built-in support system and a stronger and more resilient working team.
Do you feel safe?
This is vitally important for all your team and employees. A workplace and environment has to feel safe. This ties in with the inclusivity we discussed above. People need to feel included, and most importantly they need to feel safe in their workplace from any sort of discrimination, bullying or workplace, politics, or safety issues. Do you have a system in place so that employees can raise any concerns that they might have without the risk of recrimination? If not, implement one. This will give a major boost to your employees' feeling of wellbeing.
Develop your team!
No one wants to feel that their job is stagnant and everyone deserves the opportunity to develop themselves. Allow employees to fulfil their potential. This could be by taking classes, upskilling, or by being mentored by a more senior member of staff. This will improve their wellbeing, but it will also improve your business. You will have fulfilled team members that you can promote from within your business.
What do we think?
There is so much that you can do to improve wellbeing in your workplace, and it is in the interests of everyone to do it. Everybody wants to feel accepted, valued and included. Make sure this happens with your team and you will have a healthy and productive team and working environment for everyone.
Final thoughts
At Parker Shaw, we have been at the forefront of the sector we serve, IT & Digital Recruitment and Consulting, for over 30 years. We can advise you on all your hiring needs.
If you are looking for your next job in the IT sector please check our Jobs Board for our current live vacancies at https://parkershaw.co.uk/jobs-board