How to Maintain Employees Wellness & Well-Being
One of the worst things that could happen to startups and businesses is a high turnover rate. Having employees boarding and quitting, disrupts workflow processes, wastes employees' energy in reboarding and orienting newly hired. Furthermore, brings morale down as they witness their colleagues leave frequently.
In addition to harming the organization’s image and brand as it becomes known for people quitting frequently, thus raising lots of doubts in the what’s and why’s. Therefore, employee wellness is important for business longevity. Let’s take a tour around some of the ways to retain employees and ensure their well-being.
1. Empower Your Employees
Self-determination theory suggests that people are motivated to work hard and grow in case they feel and are provided the below:
・Autonomy: People need to feel a sense of control in what they do. They need to be given decision-making power for them to feel in control. Allowing them to set their own goals in line with the organizational strategy, deciding how to do their jobs and how to satisfy or compensate a customer.
In Southwest Airlines, for example, upper management allows employees to make decisions and break some rules in case they are leaning towards the customer. Autonomy drives an employee to feel responsible and accountable, hence, breeding more passion and enthusiasm
・Competence: Employees need to gain mastery of tasks and learn different skills. When people believe they have the skills needed for success, they are more likely to take actions that will help them achieve their goals. Therefore, helping employees through training and development to get their jobs done will help them perform better and increase productivity.
・Connection: When employees work within a team that provides them with a sense of belonging, feel respected and appreciated, that will reflect positively on their performance. Hence, an organization’s investment in teamwork and breeding strong relations among colleagues will lead to high morale. Many employees will cherish a place they work in for the sake of their team.
Organizations that develop the elements within the self-determination theory will be able to foster high levels of employee motivation. This kind of motivation is built mainly on intrinsic factors, which are much more effective than any other external resources which have a temporary effect on the well-being of employees1.
2. Engage Your Employees
Employee engagement refers to the degree of commitment and connectedness with your organization2 and its workplace culture. Gallup has developed 12 questions (Q12)3 that help foster engagement within your workplace. Through tested methodologies. There are several means to use these 12 questions. First, check the questions and develop a plan that would allow you to promote an environment that shows all the available aspects within the 12 questions.
Second, you can carry out a survey that helps you understand where you fall short from your employee's point of view.
3. Foster Good Relationships
Building teams that have good and strong relationships play a role in employees' wellness. Relationships are built both on understanding each other well, and effective communication. One of the best tools in this aspect is LIFO – LIFE Orientation, which helps to identify one’s basic orientation to life and work.
Each of these orientations directs us towards different goals and characterizes us with different strengths. It’s important to understand each orientation no matter what our preferences. These orientations contain the main game plan upon which we operate in life.
If we imagined the core motives of these life orientations, we would describe them as follows:
・Supporting Giving
Their game plan is: If I prove my worth by working hard and seeking Excellence, the good things of life will come to me
・Controlling Taking
Their game plan is: If I get results by being competent and seizing opportunity, the good things in life will be there for the taking
・Conserving Holding
Their game plan is: If I think before I act and make the most of what I’ve got, I can build up my supply for the good things in life
・Adapting Dealing
Their game plan is: If I please other people and fill their needs first, then I can get the good things in life that I’ve wanted all along4
4. Promote Health Standards
・Physical Health: Promote health check-ups, provide well-being benefits and celebrate a well-being day. Offer vouchers to different physical activity classes and give time to practice at work. Offering health insurance protection is also a good idea.
・Physical Safety: Use safe working practices. Add HSE standards to KPI’s. Do not allow employees to work under any conditions that would promote unsafe measures. Offer agronomics workshops, promote it, and offer benefits for following up and following through.
・Mental Health: This is a very important aspect. Start by protecting employees from undue stress by following up with management regarding their planning practices. Offer coaching and counseling facility, whether onsite or offsite thus providing good offers or vouchers that allow employees to find a good coach or counselor at a good rate. Arrange for offsite recreational activities that help employees bond and release stress. Work on some employee assistance programs5.
The routes to employee wellness are unlimited. This is great news since it allows entrepreneurs to choose from a wide and diverse array, developing new ways on the go. Investing in employees' wellness will always pay off well, for you will win a loyal, passionate workforce that works hard to spread your vision, making your brand stronger day by day.
1Kendra Cherry 2021, Self Determination Theory and Motivation, Accessed 20 June 2021, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-determination-theory-2795387
2SHRM 2021, Accessed 20 June 2021, https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/sustainingemployeeengagement.aspx
3Gallup, The Power of Gallup’s Q12 Employee Engagement Survey, Accessed 7 July 2021, https://www.gallup.com/access/323333/q12-employee-engagement-survey.aspx
4Stuart Atkins (1982), The Name of Your Game: Four Game Plans for Success at Home and Work.
5 Rachel Suff, CIPD 2021, Wellbeing at Work, Accessed 20 June 2021, https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/well-being/factsheet#gref
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