How to improve wellbeing in the workplace?

As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. Gallup studies show that our world has become unhappier, more anxious and more stressed (Ray, 2022) . How can you help your employees to overcome negative emotions? Harvard Business Review offers seven strategies to improve employees’ wellbeing (Kelly et al., 2021):

  • Grant employees more autonomy in how they do their work.
  • Provide more flexibility regarding when and where employees can work.
  • Improve the consistency of employees’ schedules.
  • Give employees opportunities to identify and resolve workplace issues.
  • Ensure your organization maintains sufficient staffing levels and manageable workloads.
  • Encourage managers to be more accommodating with employees’ personal requirements.
  • Implement measures to nurture a sense of social belonging among workers.

Today we will focus on the last strategy. Fostering a sense of social belonging among employees is crucial for creating a positive workplace culture where everyone feels valued and respected. This will require an ongoing effort and a commitment from leadership and employees alike.

How can you create this culture in your organisation?

The World Health Organisation lists insufficient support from colleagues and supervisors as one of the factors for work-related stress (WHO, 2022) . So, you could start with the promotion of inclusivity by encouraging diverse hiring practices and creating a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds and abilities. When inclusion is effectively implemented, employees feel a profound sense of belonging and connection with the organization, colleagues and the work they do
(Rayat, 2022).

Communication on workplace.

Ask your HR managers to review existing mentorship and buddy programs. These programs should be regularly updated to take into consideration new teams, projects and other activities. It is also important to encourage regular feedback through various channels. The paradox is that if inclusivity is not felt, then detailed and honest answers to any of your questions might be difficult to obtain. This brings us back to the problem of trust (which was covered in article dated September 8, 2023).  To address this issue, we offer a communication platform AlbiCoins designed to assist organisations with framing an atmosphere of belonging and acceptance and improve trust by enabling horizontal communication among employees.

The next step would be to offer training and education. Earlier we have already discussed what you can do to motivate workplace learning. Regarding wellbeing, you should pay attention to trainings which increase awareness of biases, nurture open communication, foster empathy and promote understanding among team members.

Lastly, recognize and celebrate diverse cultural and personal holidays or milestones. AlbiCoins is a great tool to assist with this, as it offers a clear rewarding system that gives employees a way to support colleagues and celebrate their successes. With the platform’s voting tools and surveys, you can also involve employees in decision-making processes and ask for their input on policies, practices and workplace improvements. This will show that their voices are valued, encourage more active engagement, and improve retention and wellbeing.

References

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