
How to improve employee retention: 10 strategies to keep your people engaged
You may think that you have a happy and motivated team, but then one day, your…
The intrigue around how managers and their teams are approaching the topic of workplace wellbeing has increased over the last year. It’s no secret that there’s a strong correlation between teams who prioritize emotional, physical and mental wellbeing, and impactful work. Ultimately it boils down to learning the warning signs pointing towards your teams wellbeing. Remember, managers need to support employees and learn helpful, applicable methods for a healthy team.
In fact 39% of Officevibe users have expressed that their work is taking a negative toll on their work related stress level.
It’s never too late to do something good for yourself, and for your team. We’re exploring: what it means for managers to prioritize employee wellbeing, and how to do so while also improving employee engagement.
In this article you’ll:
Our team experienced indications of high stress this past spring with the onset of remote work becoming the norm. Without skipping a beat, this prompted us to pivot into action.
Our senior leadership team decided it was paramount for us to walk the talk and use Officevibe’s pulse survey tool to check-in with our team. Using the data we gathered, it was clear that there were several key contributors linked to low employee engagement and employee wellbeing.
Properly understand the situation. Identify which factors are contributing to employee stress. (We used our Custom Poll templates dedicated to wellness to easily survey our teams).
Share the results with everyone to provide a sense of transparency. It’s important for us to have each employee give their input on concrete action items.
Brainstorm on action items as a team, allowing each employee to be part of the solution. In our case, each one of us had access to a shared Miro board. Here, all the main topics and ideas from the Custom Poll were gathered. Each employee could then participate by owning their schedule, comment, and discuss specific ideas on the board.
Let every employee vote on the action items they feel would most benefit the stress and wellness levels of the company.
Results of the vote demonstrated concrete areas where we could concentrate our efforts. We agreed to action out each of these. This included:
As we put our people-first approach into action, we quickly turned things around. We came up with solutions that fit our needs and increased workplace wellbeing. Taking the time to listen to employees via our pulse surveys, then following up with deeper and more meaningful discussions in 1-on-1s let them know that we support each other.
❤️ Check out our full team story here!
The TLDR on learning about the state of your team’s wellbeing:
Our recent Officevibe survey results found that 22% of employees feel as though their work is taking a toll on their personal life. When we take a closer look, it’s noticeable how remote work plays an important role in this data. After all, we are no longer working from home, rather, living at work.
Societal norms condition us to think that taking care of our wellbeing is a luxury and that work-related stress is “normal.” Emotional Intelligence experts at Roche Martin indicated that promoting wellbeing within teams increases productivity and motivation, builds morale and decreases work-related stress.
Deconstruct preconceived stigmas around keeping emotions to yourself. Encourage teams to talk about how they feel. Start by being vulnerable about what has been most stressful for you.
Facilitate a brainstorming session with remote collaboration tools (like Miro). Express ideal states of wellbeing and how that is defined by the team.
Let them know that nothing is off the table. Encourage creativity on your team to achieve a state of wellbeing for a more balanced approach to their day-to-day.
Set the baseline that it’s okay if you don’t get it right on the first try. Create a guiding north star of what is the best possible outcome, and break this down into smaller achievable wellbeing initiatives to test over time.
Our poll results demonstrate that 16% of users feel as though someone would not say or do something helpful if they noticed they were in a state of distress. Taking time to intentionally connect with one another not only helps for accountability, it builds connection, trust and psychological safety.
We all want to see each other succeed, luckily there are several ways to let teams know that you value their overall health and find ways to encourage them towards a more balanced life.
The TLDR on finding solutions to team stress
We’ve learned the root causes and concerns around employee isolation, overwhelm and stress and how this can be amplified in a remote environment. We also took a look at how we can create a shift in perspective that works for teams. It’s time to understand how to keep the focus on wellbeing as a priority and make that a long lasting value.
66% of Officevibe users feel as though their company offers the support they need to deal with work-related stress
It’s no wonder that those who feel this level of support have seen a boost in engagement and productivity. Yet, wellbeing is not a one-stop- shop, nor is it one-size-fits-all. It’s a habit that needs to be baked into everyday expectations.
We tend to cling on to sensations of stability in times of high stress. A manager can integrate a sense of stability in a state of flux by keeping 1-on-1 meetings consistent. This way, employees know they have a consistent touchpoint with their manager.
Over communicate and clarify expectations often. Offer visibility to your team as often as possible when it comes to shifts in strategy or changes in the business. Be clear on how this affects them.
Learn what flexibility means to your team, and how you can help facilitate their wellbeing by being open about meeting schedules, deadlines, and big projects. Find a system that adheres to healthy habits and fosters creativity, growth and development.
Celebrate small wins. Recognize employees who offer a helping hand to others who might be struggling with stress, amplifying that we are all in this together.
The TLDR on making wellbeing habitual:
Keeping our wellbeing at the heart of what we do allows our team to bring a human approach to our teams and to our projects. When we prioritize our health, we feel supported. Understanding the resources available to us enables us to feel a sense of calm in the eye of the storm.
These habits are proven to have massive impacts on companies with a positive culture. Remember that it doesn’t have to be complex, simplicity is key, all it takes is someone to listen and lead.
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