By Jason Richmond, CEO and Chief Culture Officer at Ideal Outcomes, Inc.
Employee engagement, in my experience as an expert on company culture, has been recognized as a key driver of productivity for more than 20 years. It’s a concept often used interchangeably with employee well-being, but these are not the same thing.
Today, with the challenge of dealing with a pandemic, a focus on employee well-being is imperative as companies face the need to develop strategies to bring people back to work. Although many employees are looking forward to a return to work and a return to normalcy, many also fear it. Companies need to do whatever they can to protect employees and not only allay their fears with words, but also offset them with actions.
Begin by thinking about employee well-being in a broad, systemic way. Consider every aspect of an employee’s job: the role and duties, company and colleague expectations, potential stress levels, hours required, and the work environment itself. What impact do these factors have on a person’s physical and mental health? What about their mood or their sense of purpose? In other words, think of their well-being. I believe taking a holistic view will help organizations realize a job is more than a job; it's often a component of a worker’s quality of life.
Taking a holistic perspective enables employers to better develop plans and strategies for bringing people back to work. Keeping employees physically safe is fundamental, but it’s not enough. Returning to work after a pandemic is uncharted waters, and we must consider unique strategies that address not only short-term tactical concerns, but also longer-term emotional distress and loss of productivity. Consider these 10 points:
Today, with the challenge of dealing with a pandemic, a focus on employee well-being is imperative as companies face the need to develop strategies to bring people back to work. Although many employees are looking forward to a return to work and a return to normalcy, many also fear it. Companies need to do whatever they can to protect employees and not only allay their fears with words, but also offset them with actions.
Begin by thinking about employee well-being in a broad, systemic way. Consider every aspect of an employee’s job: the role and duties, company and colleague expectations, potential stress levels, hours required, and the work environment itself. What impact do these factors have on a person’s physical and mental health? What about their mood or their sense of purpose? In other words, think of their well-being. I believe taking a holistic view will help organizations realize a job is more than a job; it's often a component of a worker’s quality of life.
Taking a holistic perspective enables employers to better develop plans and strategies for bringing people back to work. Keeping employees physically safe is fundamental, but it’s not enough. Returning to work after a pandemic is uncharted waters, and we must consider unique strategies that address not only short-term tactical concerns, but also longer-term emotional distress and loss of productivity. Consider these 10 points: