While there has been a flurry of well-being activities that have emerged post-COVID; there still resides a question whose responsibility is well-being? Is it the individuals? Is it the organization? Is it the managers? Is it enough to provide resources and tools to employees to manage their well-being on their own? Or does it take more than just providing an EAP service to make employees feel cared for by the organization?
Who has the closest connection with the employee to create maximum impact on employee’s well-being?
The data shows that employees are more likely to feel higher levels of well-being when they sense higher points of organizational support.
Seventy-two percent of employees with high well-being say they also have high organizational support. The opposite is true, too — employees are more likely to feel lower levels of well-being when they perceive lower organizational support.
“The solution to burnout is not about going to the individual, it’s about going to the job, the team, the leadership, the first-line managers… more WE solutions, not ME solutions.” The Burnout Solution
Many organizations institute wellness programs that focus on encouraging employees to eat better or exercise more. Meanwhile, they overlook the atmosphere of the workplace setting itself. We need to get serious about creating a workplace where people feel valued, trusted, and respected, where they are engaged in their work, have a degree of autonomy, and can get home in time for family dinner.
Managers play a pivotal role in ensuring that their teams are not only performing well but also maintaining their physical, mental, and emotional health.
What are the keyways in which managers can positively influence employee wellbeing?
- Eliciting support
Managers have the power to create a workplace that fosters an open and psychologically safe work environment. Employees should be able to talk about their stresses and challenges without the fear of repercussion and with comfort that their managers will understand their challenges and help them navigate the situation. It is important that in the organization we normalize conversations around anxiety and burnout. It is important to provide training to management teams and senior leaders on identifying signs of stress and duress like sudden drop in performance, absenteeism at work and appearing disengaged and / or agitated. Managers can plan regular check-in with their teams to keep a pulse on their teams’ wellbeing and mental health.
- Creating opportunities for community connection at work: – Managers can help their teams in cultivating relationships at work by ensuring they create opportunities for working in cross functional teams at work. This helps in networking and socializing and widening the employee’s perspective. Managers should also encourage employees to participate in extracurricular activities and social activities organized by HR and employee engagement teams. Activities like community volunteering, corporate sports competitions etc. can add to relieve stress and help the employee make more connections at work. Often employes complain that managers do not encourage them to participate in such activities. Managers must find a balance between getting work done and allowing the employees to make social connections at work.
- Being involved in employees Career Development: – Employees often feel stressed and frustrated if they do not see a career opportunity and a growth path within the organization. Managers have the closest view of their employees’ areas of strength and areas of development. They can create a meaningful conversation opportunity in the employees’ career development by engaging in regular conversations about their professional development. Professional growth is an important aspect of employee wellbeing. Supporting employees in their career goals can enhance their job satisfaction and overall sense of purpose.
In Talent Element we collaborate closely with Managers in developing them to understand their role and responsibilities beyond just chasing targets and efficiency. We help them balance their responsibilities between task and people care. We conduct workshops to develop these skills with senior facilitators and tailor make mid to long term interventions along with focused IDP’s (Individual Development Plans) to help them apply the learnings in a sustainable and meaningful way.
