You probably don’t need another internet stranger telling you that this past year has been “unprecedented,” or that we’ve all been navigating through “trying times.” But the truth is, the past year has placed a strain on everyone’s mental health, including your workforce. Entering 2021, there’s understandably a growing sense of importance and urgency regarding employee wellbeing.
We all know that people work best when they feel best. And we also know that each month where we remain in this pandemic-controlled version of life, that gets a little bit harder to do.
As we all continue to pick up the pieces from a challenging past year, use these four tips to kickstart your employee wellbeing initiatives and rally your teams with positivity and confidence into the new year.
- Make Gratitude an Integral Part of Your Framework
We’ve all lost a little bit of that connectivity and togetherness feeling that, before March of last year, some realize may have been taken for granted. Going forward, we’d recommend doubling down on your employee recognition and appreciation practices.
Establish a culture where employees make sure to shout out their colleagues for commendable behavior. This makes for “wins” that give your talent forward momentum, further engaging them in their work and with their teams.
At its most base level, receiving acknowledgment and experiencing gratitude makes someone feel like they’re making a difference. It’s also reciprocal and becomes mirrored by all involved. From there, everybody maintains a sense of accomplishment – developing confidence and a winning attitude that will reflect in their work.
- Ensure That Your Wellbeing-Forward Practices are Remotely Compatible
With remote work becoming the norm for many companies, potentially even post-pandemic, it’s important to be mindful that your wellbeing initiatives need to be able to travel.
The practices you implement must be compatible with remote or virtual networks. For instance, live-taught Meditation, Yoga, Fitness, and other wellness classes work wonders for your teams’ mindfulness. These activities are associated with stress reduction, heightened focus, and improved bonding.
If you’re feeling particularly motivated, you can even hire a remote instructor (there’s more and more each day) who’s proficient in leading these sessions virtually for your teams.
In fact, Remote Team Wellness exists for this very purpose. Many of the logistical complications are removed from the equation. Through their expert guidance, your team could end up sleeping better, losing weight, and boosting their overall mental wellness.
- Embrace the Gift of Giving
One of the work-specific reasons that employees can slip into a state of less-than-ideal mental wellness is due to feeling undervalued.
This, obviously, has always been a variable to account for but has become much more acute given the uncertainty and instability from 2020. The “gratitude” suggestion from earlier will play an integral role in making your team feel valued. But it shouldn’t do all the heavy lifting.
Part of the issue is people start feeling like an insignificant cog in the machine—as though their contributions aren’t indispensable. Part of that is because leadership doesn’t do enough to make them feel noticed.
Giving your individual talents a gift box from a company like Caroo, as one example, allows you to add a personal touch. This allows you to add another level of personalization and help communicate at the individual level that you value a particular employee for exactly who they are.
- Shake Things Up During the Day
The emotional and physical perils associated with being glued to a desk for 8 hours per day can’t be understated. And now, when the lines between work life and home life have steadily blurred, it’s more important than ever to help introduce variety into your employee’s workday where you can.
Some companies have introduced impromptu dance parties, wherein once the music starts playing, everybody starts moving. If you lack company-wide rhythm, don’t worry, there’s plenty else to try. Step challenges, push up challenges, biking challenges; whatever realm of fitness you settle on based on your unique teams is up to you. Just make sure you’re considering how to help everyone get up from their work chairs (or work couches) and get out of their own headspace for a bit.
These initiatives aren’t ridiculousness for ridiculousness’s sake; they’re effective strategies to promote wellbeing and good examples of just how creative and intentional the best organizations have to be to look after their teams and help everyone stay on their feet until “normal” life settles back in.
sanford rose associates—JFS Partners
We know, for too long, it’s been one challenge after another this past year for organizations trying to manage their teams while continuing to strive towards their business objectives.
JFS Partners can help. We help our clients navigate their hiring demands and empower them to hire the best accounting and finance talent with confidence. Call us today to learn how we can do it for you.
