The level of uncertainty that people have faced over the years, and continue to face, is staggering.
Add current events to the daily challenge, which is detrimental to the mental health and well-being of all. A study by Mind Share Partners in collaboration with Qualtrics and ServiceNow found that 76 percent of full-time workers in the U.S. report experiencing at least one mental health symptom. These symptoms also affect people in the long run and company leaders are well aware of the impact of these world events on their employees.
With uncertainty in the air, here are six ways company leaders and HR professionals can approach to support their employees during a challenge.
1. Recognize that it’s okay not to be okay
People are not built to deal with such great uncertainty. Give people space to process their feelings and, as a manager, recognize that you are always available to act as a sounding board whenever people are willing to talk.
As managers, it is important to manage your own stress to be an effective leader. That said, especially if you ask your employees to be open about how they feel, being willing to show the same level of vulnerability can help greatly in nurturing strong relationships as a team. .
2. Take care of your mental health
Self -care is important. There are many ways to encourage teams to actively take care of their mental health, but it starts with taking care of yourself as a leader. Some suggestions on how to approach your own care include: Staying informed but avoiding “doomscrolling”, maintaining healthy habits, staying connected with family, friends and colleagues, setting work boundaries, respect during work hours, don’t check work messages after hours, be clear on deadlines.
Ask these simple questions: ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Do you have everything you need?’ ‘How can I help?’ It is very important for managers to approach these conversations with employees with as much empathy and flexibility as possible, aiming to get people to know where they are and what level of information they are comfortable sharing. people in a work environment, especially after a major event or crisis.
Everyone processes uncertainty in their own way, so it’s important for managers to acknowledge that before talking to their employees.
In terms of asking people what they need, there are several ways to approach it.
First, managers can interact with their employees individually to understand immediate needs. Second, employers should include questions related to employee welfare, benefit offerings to keep their people feeling supported and engaged.
Checking in on what people are doing and feeling is not a “one and done” action. There should be an open line of communication with frequent check-ins to gauge how employees are feeling and where they may need additional support. Caring for a company culture rooted in transparency will help conversations become more natural.
For some managers, they may feel anxious about not wanting to isolate an employee or they may assume that others are already interacting so they don’t want to burden anyone by asking again about the situation. The truth is that the person you are reaching out to is more likely to appreciate your thoughtfulness and may feel relieved.
Showing employees that you care about their welfare and take their feedback seriously, is not a good-have-it has to be done for job satisfaction. With recruiting and retention efforts at the forefront of company leaders ’minds amid the Great Reshuffle, acting on the evolving needs and expectations of employees has bottom line implications. Informing people on what changes will be implemented, timelines they can expect and tracking progress is essential for minimizing employee turnover and improving engagement.
6. Make resources easily accessible
Although resources are readily available at any time, be sure to recirculate appropriate links and information to people when they need it.
Managers: Being prepared with this information is also a huge help when communicating with your team so that you can answer any specific questions.
Retrieved from hrexecutive.com