Aside from the job itself and the benefits from it, the work environment is another big factor considered by people when it comes to choosing a job and staying in it. The work environment is one thing for job searchers and another for those who are already hired.
When you invite a job seeker for a face-to-face interview in your office, he/she develops a first impression towards your company and the work you do which affects the decision to pursue applying to your company.
Hired employees gradually get used to the job and the workplace as they come, work and go every single day. As time passes by, it’s unavoidable that there’ll be problems, stresses, and breakdowns. There are situations wherein an employee gets tired and burnt-out, and you, as the employer, can blame no one because just like you, your employees are only humans.
With that, it is highly important that you and your company’s Human Resources Department work towards achieving a healthy work environment for everyone. The HR Department is the most highly responsible when it comes to this since they are directly in contact with and in supervision over every worker. Beyond recruitment and staffing, it also cares about the emotional health of employees by constructing a healthy work environment. It is every company’s objective to immediately solve personal and general issues, reduce tardiness and absenteeism levels, to overcome challenges in employee retention and to lessen employee turnover--which are all possible signs of an unhealthy work environment. So what should you and your HR Dept work on?
1 - A Delightful Tangible Environment
Emotional well being isn’t just affected by what’s inside the mind and the heart but also by what’s around you. It is essential that the physical workplace itself is perfect for work. It must not be dull and boring to prevent sleepy and easily tired employees. Chairs, tables, computers and other necessary materials must be provided, functional and appropriate. Pay attention to effective furniture set-ups, excellent lighting and proper ventilation. Think of creative ways to decorate walls like putting motivational quotes and designs. Ensure that employees are comfortable and at ease at work while performing well.
2 - A Boss’ Pleasant Greeting
As a boss or as someone on a higher position than others, the tendency is that workers will find it uneasy to approach you or to be themselves when you’re around, bothered that you might be staring at them. Some might find it awkward to pass by you along the hallway or to start a conversation. That doesn’t sound like a healthy environment but a disturbing one. Since you’re the boss, initiate greeting your employees so they will discover that they can approach you anytime. A genuine smile completes your greeting.
3 - Motivating People Not Just In Words
As you make the people work, don’t just leave them. Motivate them to always do their best. Some may feel stagnant or lacking, so if possible, level up their tasks or assign them to other related roles so they’d encounter new things and discover their capabilities. Whenever your employees feel they aren’t good enough or are experiencing problems with a certain project, encourage and let them feel that you trust their competencies to overcome challenges. As the head, motivate by being a role model of hard work.
4 - Worthwhile Open Communication
HR communicates the company’s culture. Inform employees about your company’s rules, values, vision and mission. Communication is a two-way process. Talk, listen and respond to your employees. Discuss performance daily so they won’t feel like it’s a sensitive topic whenever it’s brought up. Maintain ongoing conversations. You can earn and give trust through by knowing each other inside and outside work. Be friends with them. Carry out a one-on-one discussion with each employee to know their needs and to inform them about their performance. Healthy communication leads to trusted connections and strong relationships.
5 - Training and Development
There’s always room for improvement; don’t let that room be a storage room of unused stuff. A healthy work environment boosts workers’ skills and knowledge. You can cross-train them in multiple fields to develop versatility. Organize or send them to relevant seminars and workshops where they can gather new information and develop leadership skills. Mind individual and team growth.
6 - Sprinkling Some Healthy Fun
Make work fun by witty techniques like assigning a day when everyone must wear clothes according to a certain theme or conducting mini, healthy contests. Team building activities are effective too! Go out, play sports and games and other activities that will strengthen your relationship and enhance your strategizing skills beyond the bounds of your office building.
7 - Celebrating Victories
Some bosses might think that thanking their employees makes them less superior, but the truth is in doing so, you get your employees to love you and respect you even more. It further fuels them to put their heart in their work because you value and recognize them and their performance. You can send them warm thanks through words, commend them by presenting their work as an epitome of a job well done to the rest of the team, give performance incentives or advance their position. Employee’s success is also the company’s pride.
8 - Making It A Perfect Mix
Your employees are not robots. They have a life too. Work is important, but sometimes there are greater priorities like health, family, and happiness. A healthy work environment makes work and life sail smoothly together. Neither of them must suffer. Working is done at work, and breathing is done in life. Let work be work and life be life. It’s so much better if they also find working in your company makes life worth living for.
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As a superior, you don’t need to be like the typical bosses you see in television series and movies -- those who are unreasonably strict, distantly superior to their workers in terms of treatment and relationship with employees and inconsiderate to others’ needs. That kind builds a distressing work environment.
The work environment has an immense impact on employees. A positive work environment makes the employees engaged and satisfied on a deeper level because indeed, doing what you love is one important thing, and doing it where you feel cozy, secure and happy is another. Working things out for a healthy workplace isn’t just for the employee’s good but most especially for the whole company’s triumph. The work environment highly affects their drive and joy in the work they do which eventually shapes their progress, productivity, and capabilities. The better employees feel while in the workplace, the better they can perform their duties for the betterment of your company.
As a boss or as an HR Department personnel, you must assure that you completely understand the employees’ needs. Each of them has different concerns that you need to pay attention to. You must know who and what to remove or advance necessarily. You set the tone. You set the culture. You set the atmosphere. How you work is reflected on how your hired hands work, and how they perform reflects you. There must be wise leadership, unity and right management. If you set an unhealthy, negative work environment, unfavorable outcomes flow back to you. If you establish a healthy, positive workplace, successful and profitable results are on your way. Remember that the condition of a work environment starts with you and still ends with you.
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