How HR Managers Can Cultivate a Friendly Work Environment
Some of the most common jobs in the United States are:
- Retail Salespersons.
- Cashiers.
- Office Clerks.
- Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
- Customer Service Representatives.
- Registered Nurses.
Most Americans work around 40 or more hours per week. But what some might not know is that little productive work occurs after 50 hours per week. Productivity levels begin to decrease after 30 to 35 working hours.
Long days and nights impact job performance and hurt the well-being of employees. Other factors, like the physical environment, are affecting employee happiness too.
All of which is terrible for business.
Unhealthy employees mean higher insurance costs and more absenteeism at your company.
Thus, to gain productivity, working hours need to be about quality, not quantity. It should not be about how many hours an employee works, rather about how they spend those hours working.
How Your Workplace Impacts Employee Health and Happiness
If your business is experiencing a jump in unhappy or unhealthy workers, there is a reason. And it may exist in your workplace environment.
It is crucial not only to study physical factors but mental health ones too.
This includes matters related to work culture, management, employee restrictions, conditions, and more.
What You Need To Change at Your Company to Improve Employees’ Well-Being
Below are some factors to review or change at your company, including:
- Lack of privacy
- Micromanaging
- Inadequate or no company culture
- A stressful and negative atmosphere
- Heavy workloads
- Unrealistic deadlines
- Lack of physical comfort and safety.
- Workspace design and accessibility
- Lack of collaborative meetings
- No remote access
- Poor morale
- Inability to move up
- Training and tool shortage
- Very noisy
- Poor air quality
- Insufficient support (work and social)
- Office temperature (too hot or too cold)
- Unclear goals and expectations
- Poor or no communication
- Too much overtime
- No autonomy or control of work
- Lack of trust and dependability
- The conflict between work and family commitments
- Perceived fairness and justice at work
- Layoffs and economic insecurity
- No health insurance or benefits
- Lack of employee recognition and appreciation
The workplace needs to cultivate every employee’s creativity and productivity at work and at home. Promoting a healthy work-life balance keeps a workforce more engaged while on the job.
If you discover some problem areas on the list that do exist in your workplace, not all is lost. You can alter, re-design, and improve your company’s work environment.
How HR Managers Can Improve Your Employees Well-Being
Although everyone contributes to a workplace climate, HR managers are in charge of it. They are those who need to cultivate a friendly work environment. HR managers plan, direct, and coordinate the administrative functions of the organization.
They help make positive on-going relationships between the company and employees.
The recruiting, interviewing, and hiring of each employee are what HR Managers oversee. They also consult with top executives on strategic planning and help develop a positive work atmosphere.
How to Cultivate a Friendly Work Environment
1. Embrace a Strong Workplace
Owners and top-level executives must adopt and act on implementing ways that build a strong work environment.
This can include:
- Healthy snack options in the break room
- Incorporate naps
- Reduce work hours
- Delegate workloads
- Provide work and social support
- Offer training for tools, equipment, and systems
- Follow safety protocols
- Equip employees with the proper tools for the job
- Get the latest updates and upgrades to software/systems
- Fair pay
- Equal opportunities
- Appropriate treatment across job roles
- Job security
- Lack of favoritism
- Have comfortable furniture
- Ensure the office is clean
- Fair promotions
- Justice
- Offer health insurance and benefits
- Provide paid time off
2. Develop a Friendly and Healthy Company Culture
Like a healthy diet will affect a person’s physical condition, so can a nourishing culture. There are many ways to create, shift, or maintain a culture that employees want to come to work.
- Grow off your current culture
- Provide meaning
- Create attainable goals
- Encourage positivity
- Foster social connections
- Listen
- Empower your employees
- Encourage collaborative meetings on and off-site
- Foster internal competitions
- Commit to creating emotional bonds
- Determine your company values as a team
- Positive and open communication
- Employee feedback
- Show genuine care and concern
- A clear understanding of role expectations and duties
- Offer re-training when necessary
- Be vulnerable
- Welcome new ideas
- Rewards
- Begin with gratitude
- Consistency is key
- Encourage positive thinking.
- Do not sacrifice the important for the urgent.
- Increase workplace involvement
- Design fun personal and professional development activities
A positive company culture exhibits to employees that they are respected. It inspires them to provide quality work.
3. Workplace Organization and Thoughtfulness
To enhance your employee’s productivity and health, take a closer look at your workplace. Check to see if the environment will encourage these elements.
Ask yourself the following:
- Does the equipment help or hinder work performance?
- Tables and comfortable chairs
- All-in-one PCs and smartphones
- Notebooks and pens
- Whiteboards and markers
- Easy to use communication software
- Cozy sitting area for breaks and lunch (soft chairs and sofas)
- Inspirational photos
- Motivational quotes
- Colorful walls
- Funny pictures
Everything in your work environment must involve organization and thoughtfulness. Each item you select for your office needs to influence employees’ work performance.
When workspace organization and thoughtful methods are in place, you can connect with workers.
4. Brand Union
Every person wants to feel like they belong. We have a fundamental need to gain acceptance as members of a group that affects our behavior.
Your company must do brand collaborations and developmental projects as a team effort.
Have employees feel their importance and acceptance from the relationships your company fosters.
Let workers know their value. Empower them to take ownership of their contributions to the brand.
Encourage your team to work together to achieve goals and give them time to savor these moments. That can make all the difference.
Gain your employee’s trust for them to want to be a member of your brand.
Conclusion
Most businesses already know the importance of team-building exercises, career growth, and support. They also know that open communication plays a significant role in job performance.
They do not need to be told about these things again.
But what many companies forget is how employee treatment dramatically impacts their health and work. Treat employees as irreplaceable people.
Your HR managers need to focus on treating employees as people and not numbers. Having this focus on employees flow through everything a manager does will create significant changes.
Show workers how valuable they are to your company. Through positive words and actions, employees will not only feel better but will work better too.
