Rekindling workplace enjoyment isn’t just on employers
It’s more than just a game of broken telephone.
Leaders and employees aren’t connecting like they did in the pre-pandemic old days and it’s making many workplaces lose their lustre.
The scoop is this; rekindling the workplace “love” isn’t just on employers. It’s two-sided. No matter your rank within an organization these five techniques will help bring you closer to enjoying work again.
Money matters more than ever
Foosball tables, team events and meditation rooms won’t solve this one. Employees and contractors are looking at financial security as essential to their overall wellness. Market rate pay is an expectation plus if an employee is permanent full-time, they’ll be looking for retirement savings plans to keep them on track with long-term savings. Pitching “Oh, but our culture is amazing and it makes up for the lower pay,” business won’t cut it amidst rising inflation, interest rates and high housing prices. So, if keeping great people within an organization is the goal, paying them properly and adjusting salaries to keep up with inflation.
My advice to employees and contractors is that if you’re being paid 20 per cent or more under market, it’s time to find a new gig. But, before you jump ship, check with your leader about a raise. Research shows that 65 per cent of managers are prepared to give raises but don’t because the employee or contractor doesn’t bother asking.
Benefits that include financial well-being
This is almost always a win-win for employees and employers. When employees get to choose the kinds of benefits that work best for their needs, they end up happier and more productive. And, most employees don’t mind paying their portion of benefits when it’s suited to what they require like physio or glasses. Looking past traditional coverages, benefits for financial counselling and coaching, investment advice and investment fees and financial literacy training are being asked for on the regular now by employees. And, this kind of support for financial wellness is directly linked to lower stress levels at work, higher productivity, creativity and better job satisfaction.
Working in a way that maintains productivity and flexibility
People and organizations thrive in different kinds of environments. If you’re not sure whether going back into the office or working from home, or a hybrid approach, is right, just ask (and this goes both ways). Most employees and workplaces do their best (and make the most money) when productivity is high and there is pride in the work ... which leads to my next point.
Build your interpersonal skills by talking to people ... a lot
Close the Zoom window. Stop sending text messages and expecting instant responses. If you want to reconnect with your work and the people in your organization, you need to talk to them. For the introverts out there (especially all the people who became introverts over the past two years by being at home), I get it, this suggestion is like the sound of nails on a chalkboard. But, communication is THE bridge to working better with people, being happier and more productive, and getting that raise or promotion you have earned.
Listen, we all got a little in our own heads during the pandemic, so if you’re completely stuck on where to begin fresh conversations with people, open with a compliment about a specific work accomplishment the other person has achieved. Compliments are disarming and one of the fastest ways to win trust and get the conversation moving. Part two is to listen harder. I don’t know about you, but my listening skills suffered by not being around people every day for two years. So, I’m working on it. As you’re listening, home in on what the other party is super proud of because that can often reveal what motivates them (and possibly you).
Take breaks
Burnout; that’s what happens when people work too much and don’t take mental and physical health breaks. For employees, breaks are largely on you. You have to take the initiative to find the time or the time will be taken away from you. For employers, creating the conditions to support wellness is what your team wants. Balancing workload with overall wellness is going to help bring that connection back between leaders and employees.
Life’s too short to hate your job, your boss, the customers you serve, the products and services you sell, the pace you’re working at, the outdated equipment you have to deal with daily and the money you make. So, if, after trying to reconnect with your work and the people you work with, you’re still disappointed, it might be time to move on. Employees who love their work and workplace, and workplaces that love the work done by their employees, will be more successful and happier all around.
This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.
