Acquiring a dream job is something most people strive for in their lives. This scenario benefits the organization as much as the employee.
Maintaining employee satisfaction is crucial for running a successful company. If your workers aren’t content, they won’t perform at their best.
Currently, approximately 62% of US workers are satisfied with their job, and mental health plays a large role in keeping employees happy.
HR departments can implement programs for employees to help organizations avoid issues in the future. Let’s explore some of the most notable ways you can do so at your organization.
1. Promote Mental Health Awareness
Sometimes, people struggle on their own and don’t express themselves to other people. A major reason why they stay quiet is feeling as though it’s inappropriate to bring up their issues.
This is especially true in the workplace, as employees often feel their struggles are irrelevant. Your HR team can promote mental health awareness in your office and establish a workplace culture of acceptance. Let them know their voices are heard and that you’re willing to listen.
Your team can then recommend resources to get them back on track. If they never speak up, they might never receive the help they need.
This could have numerous consequences, such as long-term lapses in performance. Not only does this decrease your company’s efficiency, but it could lead to the employee’s termination.
Your business would then have to spend time and resources acquiring a new worker. Companies with a high amount of turnover spend much more than they should on finding new employees.
2. Flexible Scheduling
Rigid schedules are a common source of stress for many professionals. This can make it difficult for them to focus on areas of their life outside of work.
For instance, somebody with children might frequently miss soccer games or theater performances due to being stuck at the office. Some people have trouble falling asleep early enough to handle a traditional 9-to-5. Regardless of what conflicts arise, flexible scheduling can resolve them.
If possible, give your employees the opportunity to influence their own schedules. This could come in the form of allowing them to work from home a couple of days per week. In some cases, you could give them full control over their schedule as long as they complete their assignments.
Assess their performance after these schedule changes. Ideally, you’ll see an increase in employee happiness and productivity.
There’s a chance you find this may not have been the best idea, though. If their performance drops, aim to find alternative solutions to improve their mental health.
3. Address Workplace Stress
Workplaces in virtually every industry can be stressful at times. This is especially true in spaces that have tight deadlines or constant change, such as tech or finance.
Pushing your employees too far can lead to them underperforming or quitting their jobs altogether. Acknowledge workplace stress and convey that you’re available to help workers manage their burdens.
Counseling is a great way to handle this situation. People handle stress differently, and they don’t always do so optimally.
Someone might engage in substance misuse, for example. Others might experience depressive episodes that affect other areas of their lives.
Promoting the use of paid time off (PTO) is one of the best strategies to improve mental health. Some workers are afraid to take PTO out of fear they’ll be seen as lazy or unproductive.
When you let people know it’s okay, they can take days for themselves and decompress. This helps you increase your number of satisfied employees.
4. Provide Mental Health Plans
People sometimes avoid mental health care due to its high cost. Integrating these into your employee benefits package gives your workers the opportunity to seek the necessary resources.
This is especially important for people who struggle with depression or self-destructive behavior. Left unchecked, mental health issues can cause employees to become liabilities.
5. Mental Health Training for Managers
You shouldn’t rely on your employees to come straight to you to receive assistance. Team managers should receive proper mental health training so they can provide the necessary support.
Even though mental health is not as stigmatized as it was in the past, some individuals still don’t understand mental health issues. The last thing you want is to have a manager in place who can’t accommodate employees that need help.
Train your management on recognizing the signs of excessive stress and mental illness. You should also teach them how to recognize fatigue and signs of workplace harassment.
The most important skill to teach them is how to establish an open dialogue with their team members. Workers should feel comfortable approaching managers and speaking with them.
6. Listen to Feedback
Listening to what your employees have to say can help you make the best decisions. Give them the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback about your organization. This can include a variety of topics, such as the way managers handle employees or how disciplinary action is taken.
It’s important to do more than just listen, though. If feedback is actionable and makes sense, consider implementing it.
For instance, consider a scenario where your company has a zero-tolerance policy on missed deadlines. If circumstances outside of your employees’ control affect their productivity, their stress could exponentially increase. They might even feel their job is in jeopardy due to no fault of their own.
Receiving feedback that says this policy is unfair and counterproductive would be something the organization should listen to. If they make the appropriate changes, employees would likely work harder during time crunches as opposed to giving up.
Situations like these can transform your company into one people love to work at. It’s best to regularly assess employee feedback, such as once per month.
Prioritize Keeping Employees Happy
When you strive to keep employees happy at your organization, you’ll find it’s much easier to maintain productivity. Your staff will also be excited to work at your company and will be more likely to stay.
At Cenikor, we’re dedicated to helping each of our clients reach their independent needs. We offer a full range of behavioral health care and are ready to meet people at every stage of their recovery.
Learn more about what we can do to help you keep your employees happy.
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