Wellbeing Part Two: Promoting wellbeing at Work
By Fay Capstick
Last week, we looked at a new report showing a worrying trend for graduates to go straight from university to long-term sickness benefits in the UK. This week, we shall look at what employers can do to improve and safeguard the wellbeing of their workers, particularly those joining with no experience of working.
Safety
A huge priority for employers wanting to promote wellbeing at work is to ensure that staff feel safe at work. Safe from discrimination, bullying, and in the overall environment. No one will feel happy at work if they don’t feel safe.
Do actively promote a culture where your staff feel safe to bring up issues and challenges. This includes whistle-blowing. Make sure new staff members are fully briefed on how to report any problems they might have (especially those coming directly from education, who will be unused to the world of work and the workplace environment and culture).
Remember, what is obvious to you as a seasoned worker might not be obvious to a new hire.
Be Inclusive…
Make sure that everyone, regardless of differences, feels included. Everyone should feel that they and their opinions have a contribution to make without judgment or worry of bullying.
Everyone has something to bring and contribute at work, and recognising this means that you can make the best use of the talent that you have in your team. This will make you a stronger company that is better placed to respond to modern business challenges. Value the contributions that those coming from education have to offer, as they bring a new perspective.
Feeling included and valued at work will increase staff wellbeing, as well as performance and satisfaction. Younger staff will expect inclusivity as standard, so make sure your workplace lives up to their expectations.
Do you feel secure?
As well as feeling included and valued, everyone needs to feel secure. This will have a huge impact on wellbeing. Do staff feel that their job and position are secure? Are they given contract extensions well ahead of time?
People need to be able to plan their lives and achieve their financial goals and this requires stability of employment terms and hours. Feeling insecure and unstable at work will have a huge impact on wellbeing at any age. Remember that graduates will likely be starting work with high levels of student loans as well as hopes for planning a stable future.
Tell people if they are doing a good job!
Wellbeing is significantly increased if people are told that they are doing a good job. This doesn’t need to be in the form of performance reviews, but make sure that you offer praise and thanks regularly when your team does well. Most people will perform better and have a higher level of workplace wellbeing and job satisfaction when praise is offered over official schemes to incentivise them.
…And let them know how to improve if they aren’t
People aren’t mind readers, and most want to do their best. If a staff member isn’t performing, don’t leave them floundering and getting demoralised. Their wellbeing will be upped by knowing what they are doing that could be improved and by knowing specifically how to do this going forward.
Further, make sure that staff know how to request extra training or help if they think that they need it. This is vitally important for new hires and younger graduates who might be new to the world of work and require extra support as they start their careers.
..And Connected
Try to make sure that your team properly connect. A team that connects will understand each other and work better together. Relationships cannot be forced, but try to give opportunities for genuine connections to be fostered. A connected team will have greater levels of wellbeing and workplace satisfaction. A connected team will also bring better results for your business.
Flexibility!
We recently looked at changes to working culture that mean that workers can now ask for flexible working. This is a great step, as wellbeing is improved when people feel like their life and individual circumstances are being recognised.
Graduates may be younger and will have come to work from an academic environment where they will have been able to have some control over their schedules and daily workflow planning. Giving similar flexibility will increase wellbeing and happiness at work, as no one wants to feel like a robot or a cog in a system. Value individuality and be flexible.
Brand awareness
If you make your workplace an environment where individuality, inclusivity, flexibility, and safety are the highest priority, then you will increase your worker's satisfaction and wellbeing levels.
This will lead to a better-performing business, higher staff morale, and increased staff retention. At Parker Shaw we are proof of this with our extremely low staff turnover - most of our staff have been with us for decades (for many of us, this is our first job, as once people join us, they never want to leave).
What do we think?
We think that staff wellbeing is the most important thing to consider when considering your staff.
New hires and younger people should not be expected to immediately understand workplace methods and culture and know that it is normal to experience a transition period.
You could consider appointing a mentor for graduates and those new to work to help them feel confident that it is something they can cope with. It is important to remember that former students will have been used to accessing support and help for wellbeing issues during their education and that letting them know that similar help is available to them will make the jump into the workforce a less daunting prospect. This will hopefully encourage more people to join the workforce.
Final thoughts
At Parker Shaw we have been at the forefront of the sector we serve, IT & Digital Recruitment and Consulting, for over 35 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.