3 Tips for Creating Healthier Work Environments
19 Feb, 2015 |
A healthy work environment has always been an integral part of having a productive workplace. With the prevalence of mobile devices and the risk of viral social media posts from disgruntled employees, workplace wellness has become an even more important endeavor. All emphasis placed on customer satisfaction should come with awareness that employees are also internal customers who wield a great amount of power to make or break your business’ reputation.
The amenities offered at some of the most sought after companies would seem like an urban legend were it not for actual photos of the nap rooms available to employees at Google,the 5-star Chefs that cater food to employees at Facebook, and testimonials of the $10,000 budget that new hires at Asana are given to design their work space and computer stations. There is no simple formula on how to foster these kind of environments. We are not advising mechanics to install bunkbeds in their shops or to invite Gordon Ramsay to the company picnic, but there are a few strong tips that go a long way towards achieving employee satisfaction
1. Let them own it
If employees are going to be held accountable for their responsibilities, it is imperative that they are given reasonable flexibility to decide how their task are to be carried out. This means that they will make mistakes sometimes, but if given fair control of their work space, process design, and work flow, they will develop a personal stake in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. It may initially seem like a risk but it creates an opportunity for management to place greater emphasis on the process of training and mentorship.
Management will now play an important role in providing ongoing support to the employees they train with the goal of allowing them to flourish in their respective roles.
2. Open feedback loops
Once employees are given ownership of their roles, it’s essential for them to have some access to the decision making process that defines their procedures and protocols. Corporate strategy is meaningless if it loses touch with the realities of the operational forefront. This doesn’t mean that everyone will get a microphone at the next corporate meeting, but it would be wise to have some type of system where employees can submit solutions and suggestions to ongoing challenges. One designated manager would be tasked with reviewing and selecting submissions that would be turned over to the decision makers.
3. Stay Technically Relevant.
Many organizations have employees performing long and tedious tasks in order to avoid the cost of purchasing and implementing more efficient systems. These savings take its toll on employee morale, as nothing is more demoralizing than having to fill tedious paperwork by hand knowing that a modern system would not only reduce the time, but reduce margin of error as well. In this day an age, there are numerous tools that help managers design shift schedules, work invoices, project management tools, and purchase orders. It will benefit your entire work force if they are given the best tools to manage their responsibilities.
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