Business can often be very fast-paced and demanding, but that doesn’t mean you have to neglect the wellbeing of your employees. A stressed employee is often an unproductive employee, which can ultimately hurt your company’s bottom line.

There’s a growing body of research that confirms the link between employee happiness and workplace productivity. For example, a recent study at the University of Warwick revealed that happy employees work harder and are 12% more productive and motivated than those who are unhappy or stressed.

Workplace stress can often be alleviated simply by providing opportunities to fulfil basic human needs. In addition to being less stressed, employees who feel their needs are being met in the workplace, feel more comfortable, confident, and motivated to work productively.

Here are five simple practices that will help foster a stress-free culture in your company.

1. Develop a Wellness Programme

This is something Japanese businesses have known for some time: the company that exercises together, stays together. Working out as an office will not only build camaraderie; research shows that daily exercise out can be extremely effective in lowering stress.

Whether it’s a lunchtime yoga class or an office sports team, your company’s exercise can take many different forms. You could even arrange to have monthly matches against other companies – imagine competing in a football match against your leading business competitor! Working together to achieve a common goal on the field will translate to having a high-performing team in the office. It’s also a great way for people to get to know everyone in the company better.

In addition to providing opportunities for group exercise, you could bring in a wellness coach to speak to staff on ways they can fit daily workouts and proper nutrition into their busy professional lives. Having a healthy diet and regular physical exercise will not only reduce work-related stress; it will also lead to clearer and more creative thinking.

2. Mentor Young Talent

Research shows that employees who benefit from mentoring programmes have higher job satisfaction, which often correlates to increased productivity and reduced turnover. Frustration and stress over not knowing how to correctly do a job are some of the leading causes of turnover for many organisations; therefore, providing new talent with the scaffolding and feedback necessary to carry out their work correctly and effectively will increase both workplace efficiency and retention.

So, if you’ve recently hired an assistant accountant, it’s crucial to ensure that a more experienced member of your accounting team will be assigned to answer any questions they might have about using the SAGE 200 software your company just purchased.

Workplace mentoring programmes not only help new employees learn the ropes; they also help them to build strong professional relationships with senior members of staff. In addition to helping them perform more effectively, mentorships also give younger new team members a sense of belonging and worth.

3. Encourage Open Communication & Employee Feedback

Ineffective communication is one of the leading causes of workplace stress and discontent. One of the best ways to reduce anxiety in the workplace is to improve employer to employee communication channels as well as encouraging open communication between all team members. This will help to ensure that all employees are clear on their purpose and what their role is in the company’s shared vision, which will facilitate a reduction in work-related stress.

Another great way to help improve workplace culture and reduce stress is by implementing an employee feedback system, where all employees can provide feedback to your company’s leadership team. An employee feedback system will give your employees a sense of importance, allowing them to feel understood by giving them an outlet to voice their opinions and concerns.

4. Focus On Work-Life Balance

The secret behind many highly successful companies is their promotion of work-life balance. In addition to encouraging staff to make the most of their personal time, there are many things your business can do to promote a healthier work-life balance amongst your team.

You could adopt a flexible schedule, allowing employees to start/end work an hour or two later when needed. In addition to this, you could also implement a work-from-home scheme, where employees might be eligible to occasionally work at home in certain circumstances. You could even promote digital downtime by encouraging staff to go for a walk at lunchtime and take ‘digital breaks’.

Allowing employees to take time off when they’re feeling burnt out — or encouraging them to work from home when appropriate — can make a big difference in the health and satisfaction of your team. For instance, if your PA needs to stay at home during the week to look after a sick child, allowing her the option to answer emails and manage your schedule from home will help to reduce her stress while making her feel valued and appreciated.

5. Recognise and Reward Employee Achievements

Employees appreciate sincere and specific recognition of their contributions and achievements. Effectively recognising your team members will not only increase their sense of belonging in your company, but it will also simultaneously reduce any work-related anxiety while increasing their commitment to their role, resulting in a happier and more productive employee.

However, it’s important that employee rewards are not forced or seem contrived. While there are many ways you could show your appreciation, it’s crucial to ensure that your acknowledgements do not become expectations or entitlements. Each recognition should be tailored to the individual employee and the nature of their contribution.

Implementing an employee recognition programme that effectively rewards the successes of your staff, will not only help you to reduce stress and engage your employees, it will also work to attract the top talent you want in your company.

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, and Engineering appointments, on both a permanent and temporary basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

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