What Leaders Can Do For Employees Wellbeing

Workplaces as a concept underwent a transformation with the pandemic, as a series of disruptions paved way for a ‘new normal’. The arrival of new business models, fast-paced tech adoption, hybrid and remote work modes, and the changing needs and priorities of workers have all impacted the workplace. These sweeping changes have also left human resources (HR) and corporate leaders grappling with a new challenge: creating meaningful engagement systems that enhance employee wellbeing in the new normal.

Employee engagement refers to a basket of approaches that maximises people’s emotional connection to their work, team, and the organisation as a whole. Engaging your people is not just about giving them higher salaries, benefits or well-stocked pantries at work; it’s a vital investment in your business’s future. Long-term research by US-based research firm Gallup reveals that engaged employees produce better business outcomes than other employees across industry, company size and nationality, and in good economic times and bad. For instance, business units that are highly engaged have 21% greater profitability, says Gallup. However, currently only about 15% of employees worldwide and 35% in the US fall in the "engaged" category.

This means that maintaining high levels of employee engagement is an important business responsibility, and therefore, a priority for upper management and business leaders. Here are some practices that business leaders can adopt so as to create meaningful employee experiences:

1. Conduct wellbeing audits: At any point of time, many of your employees will be dealing with their own set of challenges. Some could be overworked; others could be depressed due to chronic health issues; still others might be anxious over impending parenthood or financial difficulties.

Keeping people engaged with their work at such times requires reaching out and supporting them sensitively. But you can only do this when you are aware of the problems in the first place. A good way to do this is through regular emotional wellbeing assessments.

Wellbeing assessments, or audits, help you create an ‘emotional health map’ of your workplace. It is an anonymous exercise which helps you identify where each employee stands, what their apprehensions are, specific challenges they are facing and the support they need etc.
Acknowledging the challenges your employees have had to overcome during the pandemic, and clearly communicating how you will support them, is vital for building engagement and trust in the workplace.

2. Embrace transparency: Organisations that are rooted in employee wellbeing build transparent work cultures that allow their people the freedom and psychological safety to share their opinions and thoughts. They work to build mutual trust, and give every employee, regardless of role or seniority, a voice in decision-making processes. This helps to integrate every member of the organisation into one unified team, where every member feels invested in the growth of the company.

In comparison, lack of transparency builds mistrust among employees and could hamper employee confidence and loyalty, making each employee focus on personal gains and wellbeing, sometimes at the cost of others, which ultimately leads to a toxic environment.

3. Encourage work-life balance: Stress heavily influences one’s physical and emotional wellbeing. If left unchecked stress can be potentially life-threatening. Offering supportive work policies that encourage healthy work-life balance not only allows employees to manage their time more effectively, but also reduces work pressure and helps them lead more balanced lives.  

4. Invest in employee up-skilling and growth: Career growth is a major motivator for workplace engagement. Hence, companies that offer their people regular opportunities for self-development and growth are ultimately investing in building loyalty and long-term employee retention.

Concerns like poor job fit, where employees are given work that does not align perfectly with their skills or their inclinations, can also lead to distress at work or lower engagement. These can be managed by providing them with tools, guidance, and mentorship. Not only do these activities help groom future leaders for the company, they also show employees that the company is willing to nurture their aspirations and build their career.

5. Facilitate access to mental health experts: Finally, facilitating access to healthcare experts, including mental health professionals, is a vital step in setting up a supportive and caring workplace. Several businesses today are signing up wellness apps and counselling helplines to protect the privacy of their employees and to allow them the safe space and anonymity needed to discuss their mental health problems freely.

In the new normal, companies are battling to keep employees engaged and motivated. While there are several ways in which one can do this, the most important shift needs to happen in the mindset of business leaders. Leaders must stop seeing employees merely as tools to achieve organisational goals, and instead appreciate and recognise the value that employees bring to the workplace. Leaders must view employees as the core strength of the organisation, and this cannot happen unless managements treat employee wellbeing and engagement as key business priorities, not just as ‘good to have’ features.