Your employees are what makes your business flourish. They are ultimately the lifeline which holds your business together and ensures the work gets completed, deadlines met, clients kept happy and most importantly money made. So, if you aren’t putting them at the top of your agenda, then ultimately you are putting your whole business at risk. Unhappy employees = a nosedive in productivity and output. Workplace wellness is becoming one of those business buzzwords that is often banded around, but if you’re just paying lip service to the matter and not putting in the correct practices then that’s simply not enough.
You want to create a work environment where employees thrive and engagement is maintained, and whilst you may have worked hard to ensure you secured the best talent in the recruitment stage it’s the next stage which is the hardest part.
Allow Experimentation
Nope, we’re not talking about getting the Bunsen burners out as though we’re back in science class. We’re talking about the type of experimentation which allows employees to let their creativity and problem-solving skills develop.
It’s important to remember there is no right way of doing something. If the end goal has been reached and within the deadline, then really the path on the way there doesn’t really matter. Allow employees the chance to develop their own way of completing tasks and managing their workload. It will ultimately make their working day much more enjoyable and productive. Plus, it allows the freedom to develop new processes which can always be shared with the rest of the team too.
Create Flexibility
Working doesn’t need to involve being chained to your desk for all hours of the day. With remote working becoming increasingly popular and easier to do, it’s seen a switch from traditional working patterns to a more flexible set up. Something which helps to not only entice employees in but also make them want to stay longer.
Get rid of your fears on flexible working and introduce a policy which incorporates a structure which leaves little room for abuse from employees. In fact, you’ll probably find that they end up working harder and are more productive because of it.
Keep Culture at Your Core
Forget team building, culture is where you should be putting your efforts to really allow your employees and your business to reap the rewards. Take the lead from those savvy start-ups who create a transparent and fun culture from day one.
Choose a culture team leader and get dates set in the diary. It will help to give your employees something to look forward too and give everyone a chance to socialise away from their desks. Whether you choose a corporate day out at a heritage site for some rest and relaxation or an action packed day packed full of activities. Get out there and make culture a priority for your business.
Make Health a Priority
Illnesses can’t be helped, but making health a priority for your employees can help to reduce the amount of sick days’ staff take. Encourage staff to lead a healthier lifestyle by promoting getting away from the desk at lunch and taking a walk and keeping fresh fruits and healthy snacks in the office. Many health insurance policies also offer corporate plans which put workplace wellness at their heart and offer benefits such as free cinema tickets, coffees, and travel discounts.
You may be wondering how all of this helps to keep employees motivated? It’s quite simple really. Making employees feel their best and be at their healthiest will mean time taken for illnesses is likely to be reduced due to improved health, and workplace wellness.
Continual Development
In your bid to keep employees motivated then you shouldn’t neglect their development within their role and wider workplace too. This is as much about keeping staff mentally engaged and motivated as it is about keeping your retention rates up.
Set in place a bespoke development plan for each employee and allow them to work towards their goals. Similar to allowing employees to experiment, empower them to make their own decisions and you’ll see their passion for their role and the business evolve.
As an employee, your role is to motivate employees and give them a sense of pride in working for your business. Make workplace wellness a priority for your business and your staff will be more motivated for it.