Well-being at work is critical for both the workforce and the business. Happy employees feel driven and strive to do the best work they can. This results in maximum productivity, great workplace culture, and a successful company.

However, it can be challenging to create a positive work environment that nurtures the well-being of your employees. And, if you get a negative reputation, it can be hard to make changes.  Around 86% of candidates avoid companies with a poor reputation for company culture.

It’s important to remember that your employees are people, with challenging and amazing attributes that bring. To be successful, you need a human-centric approach.

Effective well-being at work initiative should drive your current employees and aid their progression while helping to recruit, onboard, and grow your existing teams for maximum productivity.

Not only that, but a positive work environment improves their mental health and general health overall. Therefore, company processes, administrative efforts, recruitment, and employee management should all contribute to an effective workplace wellbeing program.

Communication and Support

Communication is the foundation of any relationship, and workplace relationships are no different. You need to foster an open and supportive environment for your employees.

Connected employees improve workplace productivity by around 25%. When everyone’s working together, the workplace can approach maximum efficiency.

Not only that, but employees that feel supported are more likely to engage with their role and their company. Employees need to feel that they can discuss their needs and concerns openly.

Encouraging that communication, and responding openly will foster the modern employee/leadership relationship.

Ensure that all teams have the opportunity to meet regularly, even socially, where possible. Your teams should be talking to each other, as well as management.

You can schedule weekly meetings or one on one meetings for individual employees and management. Create opportunities for your workforce to talk to you, and support their concerns.

Opportunities and Training

For most employees, progression and growth is the primary motivation in the workplace. People go to work to climb up the ladder and progress in their careers. Companies that don’t value their staff enough to improve their skills, and promote them, find that productivity is virtually non-existent.

Studies suggest that 40% of employees consider growth and advancement opportunities to be the most important factor in their job satisfaction.

Ultimately, people look for advancement in every aspect of their lives. Life satisfaction peaks when you’re making progress in all areas of your life. If your company cannot offer new and exciting opportunities, then employees will look elsewhere.

To many employees, a lack of commitment to employee growth implies that they aren’t valued.

It’s important to observe and understand the talent that already exists in your company, and where you can nurture it for company growth. Your employees are what drive your company forward, so it pays to invest in their futures.

Around 74% of employees are willing to learn new skills or retrain for their roles, and for career advancement. Take advantage of this drive to succeed.

Engage your employees in their roles by offering relevant workplace training. Provide them with a clear view of their promotion opportunities, and how you’re going to assist them in growth.

Regularly assess your teams, and observe where you can promote internally, and who is showing the most potential. If employees can see that you’re paying attention to their performance, they’re more likely to engage and feel that their hard work is being valued.

Trust

Encouraging an open communication policy, and supporting and driving your employees where possible, should improve the trust between employees and owners or management.

A trusting relationship between employees and managers benefits both parties. Around 79% of people say they have experienced micromanagement in the workplace. This can be one of the most detrimental factors for real well-being at work.

Trust your employees from the beginning, and encourage them to trust each other within their roles. If every employee has autonomy over their own responsibilities, everyone can reach maximum productivity.

Ultimately, you hired your staff for a reason. Give them the opportunity to demonstrate their skill set. If they feel that you trust them to do their job well, they are more likely to feel valued by management.

Not only does a trusting environment improve employees’ well-being, but it can improve company efficiency and growth. Smooth internal operations mean that management can focus on driving the company forward, rather than micromanaging their teams.

Onboarding and Introductions

An employee’s first experience with your company is through their onboarding process. New hires will want to make a good first impression, but so should you. Ultimately, the right introduction to your business should set them up for a positive experience with your company throughout their career.

Research suggests that good onboarding can improve employee retention by as much as 82%. A positive initial experience makes an employee much more likely to continue engaging with their role.

Your onboarding process should be constantly evolving, with each new hire. Ensure that you’re getting good feedback from each hiring round, and learning for future employees.

The best onboarding processes don’t stop after the first week or month. Onboarding is an ongoing process, providing job satisfaction and progression over time.

Keep the onboarding process simple and smooth, and start early. If your new hires are excited to join the company, before their start date, they are far more likely to have a positive experience.

Likewise, your existing teams benefit from a positive onboarding experience. With the right process, the new starters should be motivated to be as productive as possible and will work hard to support their team. 

Recognition and Reward

Rewards are a great motivator. Engaged employees will work hard, but there’s nothing wrong with showing your appreciation. Employees that feel valued, or that they have something to work toward, will be more engaged.

Around 30% of employees have never received an end-of-year bonus. Research suggests that a third of employees feel that their company doesn’t value them enough to reward them.

It’s easy to say that employees should want to work hard for their own satisfaction but, ultimately, everyone appreciates a little appreciation.

Rewards don’t have to be monetary. You might consider hosting regular team-building activities, where employees can relax and socialize with each other to build better relationships. Or, consider a more flexible work schedule for those that need it.

Small acts of recognition are just as valuable in the workplace. Provide positive feedback to your employees, and let other team members know when they’re performing well. Small acts of positivity ultimately contribute to wider well-being at work.

Flexibility

As mentioned above, flexibility is particularly important for employee well-being in today’s working world. Post-COVID, more workplaces are offering flexible or remote working than ever before.

Around 16% of companies in the world are now fully remote. While this might seem relatively low now, 85% of managers believe that remote working will become the new norm.

The pandemic demonstrated that employees were just as productive from home. In fact, flexible working meant that they no longer had to take time off work for personal appointments, and could manage their personal lives alongside their work.

While many employees welcomed the return to the office, this new flexible way of working grew in popularity.

Ultimately, your employees are human. They all have different preferences and responsibilities in their lives. Some may want to have a flexible working arrangement, and some might want to work completely remotely.

The key is to be amenable to each individuals’ requirements. Providing your employees with the opportunity to work at home can improve employee well-being at work overall.

At BAD, they understand the importance of managing the human element of the workplace. Your employees are your driving force, and you need to maximize their workplace wellbeing.

BestAtDigital’s HR and training tools ensure that you provide the best working experience for your employees, with opportunities for growth and development. Get in touch with them today to discuss the best tools to improve your workplace culture.