Close
While people assume that companies with happy employees enjoy greater revenue, growth and employee retention rates, the concept of “happiness” differs from person to person. So, the challenge is knowing how to improve employee mental health without sacrificing your own.
A 2020 Gallup report, “Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures”, states that while people commonly view burnout (or stress) to be from the trigger of overworking, it depends more on how employees perceive their work experience. The study states, ”Employees who feel more engaged by their work, who are properly recognised and rewarded and offered better job flexibility.. report higher well-being”.
Not only this but the cost of living crisis which emerged in the UK in 2021 has been a huge hindrance. The morale and mental wellbeing of all employees has taken a hit. Due to the hikes in prices of goods and services it saw homes cutting back on items they need. Not only that but having to work longer hours to meet these rising costs. This has been throwing more logs on the fires of stress that people need to deal with. Therefore it makes it all the more crucial that employers keep a closer eye on employees and their contentment.
With all this in mind, we’ve decided to compile the following, which offers five pieces of practical advice for an employer. These have been shown to promote employee mental health and greater retention rates. Taking them onboard can be just the ticket for an enhanced work environment.
Firstly, allowing an employee’s voice to be heard so that they feel more valued and engaged in their work is a must. It requires the discipline to shut up and listen while controlling the urge to interrupt or interject. With practice and patience (yours!), your attention will help them feel important and valuable to the team. No matter how trivial their opinion is or how much it grates on you, hear them out because the rewards are worth it. After all, getting to know and understand each other is part of life’s rich pageant. To paraphrase a wise voice, “While they may not remember exactly what you said, what you did or didn’t do, they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Everyone needs credit for their efforts, so show appreciation and not just for the big picture result. Make sure to also give it for the effort and enthusiasm shown by the team members (even when your inner voice is screaming the opposite!). This is the best fuel for morale and keeping spirit high.
That means showing a desire to trust even when previous experience, “better” judgement and gut feeling are telling you otherwise. People viewing you as fair means you shouldn’t jump to conclusions and you need to develop a stronger appetite for risk. A reputation for fairness is your reward for taking this step, and you can’t underestimate its value. This is especially the case when you consider that most employees who are unhappy report “having unfair treatment” as their number 1 reason for leaving.
This, however, shouldn’t be at the expense of anyone else’s peace of mind. There is, after all, a fine line between courage and recklessness. So, your aim with this is to empower the employee to create opportunities to contribute to the company. This will then develop confidence in their judgement. Allowing them to make their own mistakes can greatly boost them. It lets them know that you like having them around and you won’t chop them for any errors they make.
We are social beings and connection matters. This isn’t just for successful project outcomes but for our mental wellbeing. Feeling isolated, ignored or side-lined by a competitive team is often cited as the reason for leaving a job. This is even when the employee demonstrated their ability in all other areas. As well as this you can offer your employee discounts to show you value them and use sites such as this for it. So ensure every member is onboard and happy so everyone is pulling in the same direction.
