Nikki Burgoyne | Team Lead | Employee Wellness | Strider Digital | mail me |
What exactly makes a business a great place to work? Some might say it’s the pay, the beautiful offices, or the generous perks. While all these things do play a role, a business’ true attractiveness lies firmly rooted in the work environment that it fosters.
It’s been seen time and again that the effort businesses put into creating a healthy work environment can directly affect their bottom line. Things such as employee retention, attracting quality talent, and sustaining high performance come hand in hand with a healthy work environment.
Fostering healthy work environment
But what defines a healthy work environment and how can businesses ensure they are on the right track?
A healthy work environment is characterised by management and employees working together to promote healthy actions and practices, with the ultimate goal of making the working environment a safe and positive one.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of a healthy work environment was a consideration, but the pandemic brought the concept into stark focus as the world had to shift its view on how and where employees worked. Many businesses and employees realised that their work environments weren’t altogether healthy ones, which led to burnout, depression, and large-scale resignations becoming a consistent fixture in businesses all over the world.
We can all agree that a great many lessons were learnt from the pandemic, but one thing that all businesses should have taken from the experience is that a healthy work environment boosts employee satisfaction, supports consistent performance and encourages teams to work together and produce exceptional results. It was obvious that businesses who placed employee wellness at the top of their priority list during the COVID-19 years proved to be in a much better position than those who did not.
Now in a post-pandemic world, it is more important than ever to put what was learnt into practice. There are a few tips on how businesses can immediately start to improve their work environments.
Communicate with employees better
There is nothing worse than for an employee to feel as though they are not in the loop or unsure of which direction to take. Employees must be kept abreast of relevant news and developments as much as possible.
Weekly meetings and check-ins go a long way in keeping everyone on the same page. As much as it is the responsibility of a manager to ensure the lines of communication are open and foster a safe environment for employees to voice their opinions, it is also essential that all other team members speak up and ask questions too.
Create a positive and flexible work environment
The days of clock watching and measuring employees based only on how much time they spend at their desks are over, working smarter and more efficiently is the name of the game now and this includes making room for flexible working arrangements.
When employees are able to work from home when they need to or afforded the freedom to attend dentist appointments or fetch their children from school during working hours, they not only feel they are trusted to manage their responsibilities but also feel they are treated as human beings, not machines.
Employees that are given more flexibility in their jobs and hours are empowered to practice a better work-life balance, which has proven to result in a healthier mindset which enables them to perform more successfully.
People ‘work to live’, and it’s time we recognise that the old ways of being expected to ‘live to work’ is archaic and counterintuitive. Given the ability, everyone would thrive by having balance.
Recognise & incentivise employees
Studies have shown that activating the reward part of your brain can counteract the harmful effects of stress. It is therefore a no-brainer for employers to utilise reward systems to help find a healthy balance between work and play.
Rewarding team members for a job well done increases their job satisfaction and drives them to set and reach their goals.
Rewards acknowledging your employees’ hard work need not only be monetary, but they could also be casual or fun too. These could come to life through team outings, birthday celebrations, or a quarterly in-office activity such as a yoga class to break the workday stress.
Related FAQs: Fostering a positive and healthy work environment
Q: What is a positive work environment?
A: A positive work environment is one where employees feel valued, engaged and supported, leading to higher productivity and satisfaction.
Q: How can I foster a positive workplace culture?
A: You can foster a positive workplace culture by encouraging collaboration, open communication, promoting employee engagement and living by core values.
Q: What are some ways to create a healthy work environment?
A: Some ways to create a healthy work environment include providing opportunities for employee health initiatives, ensuring psychological safety and promoting a positive work culture.
Q: Why is employee engagement important for a positive work environment?
A: Employee engagement is important for a positive work environment because engaged employees are more motivated, productive and likely to contribute positively to the workplace.
Q: How can I improve the work environment for remote work settings?
A: To improve the work environment for remote work settings, focus on maintaining open communication, providing support for virtual collaboration and ensuring employees feel connected and valued.
Q: What are some ways to build a positive workplace culture?
A: Some ways to build a positive workplace culture include promoting diversity and inclusion, recognising and rewarding employee contributions and fostering a sense of belonging among employees.
Q: How do I create a supportive environment for my employees?
A: Create a supportive environment for your employees by listening to their feedback, providing opportunities for growth and development and showing empathy and understanding towards their needs.