Written by: Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you experienced employees leaving your company in 2021? There are various reasons why: the pandemic, industries like food & retail understaffed, benefits shut off, mediocre salaries, etc. According to CBS News 60 minutes, the government jobs newest report shared that ‘over 20 million people quit their jobs in the 2nd half of 2021’. The problem is that number is only increasing in 2022.
The real question left is what can small businesses and large corporations do to help this situation and keep employees motivated?
1. Listen to your Current Employees
There are semiannual meetings with bosses and their employees to discuss progress, career advancement, and performance. What if we had additional semiannual meetings where the employee meets with the Human Resource team. They can share what they have found to be beneficial working at the company as well as express their frustrations. When employees feel that they have their voice heard, they are likely to be more productive, a brand ambassador, and happier at the workplace.
2. Communicate with Clarity
I’m sure you’ve heard that open and honest communication leads to a successful marriage. Those two things also lead to a great partnership between employees and bosses. Even if you have been working with this individual for more than a year, there is an opportunity to enhance your relationship by having a conversation clarifying the objectives and expectations of their role. Other ways you can improve a working partnership, decrease micromanagement increase constructive community building and value employees’ time off.
Instead of checking their every move how about scheduling a few meetings before a deadline. Delegate tasks and set realistic dates and times to accomplish tasks. If they are having difficulty in meeting that projected deadline find out why. When employees get overwhelmed, it’s usually a time management issue so give them the necessary tools to become more productive.
With the rise of working remotely, community building needs to be a priority for all businesses. Meetings need to be productive but also fun so that employees can get to know each other. An example of a community-building exercise would be to have each employee do a quick presentation on something that excites them about their field or a passion project that they are working on outside of work. By doing a simple 5-minute presentation, the team is getting to know them better and their confidence increases.
Value their time off. After the required work hours, do not call or email the employees unless it’s an absolute emergency. Relaxation and rejuvenation are vital to an employee’s health. In addition, encourage your employees to use all their vacation time so that they can come back refreshed.
3. Invest in Wellness Services
There is only so much a company can do on their own and times are a changing. Emotional wellness in the workplace matters to employees and so do benefits. The reason why I got into health coaching was that 95% of my clients were burned out from work. Nutrition and exercise are extremely important but if you don’t have a strong support system at work and home, there is a greater chance of health decline. Why not invest in your employee’s success? Add wellness incentives into your company.
As a coach who consults with corporations, I have found that the magic happens when businesses get creative. Incorporating a mix of movement, coaching, masterclasses, and workshops into the workplace weekly makes a huge difference.
Here’s why wellness services can positively impact employee’s health and happiness:
Regarding movement, sitting behind the computer for 8+ hours are often looked at as a badge of honor. It’s time to change the narrative and get our employees to step away from the computer to move and stretch their bodies. Holding the space for employees to move builds community, releases tension and encouraging for them that the company cares.
Let’s talk about small group coaching. Accountability is key and having someone who is outside the organization can bring in a new perspective. Training executive teams on how to conduct meetings in a more creative, fun, and productive way will generate better results for the company.
Companywide masterclasses and wellness workshops are a bonus to get employees to look at their health in a different way. Instead of focusing on what’s bad versus good, present them with science and give applicable exercises that they can use in their everyday life. This will help employees take stock in their own health!
As a business owner or corporate employee, I want you to ask yourself these questions.
What areas do you feel your company needs improvement on?
Where do your employees struggle? Communication, listening, productivity, health
How do you build community?
Start the conversation with your employees!
If you need assistance in bringing wellness incentives into your workplace, schedule a consultation.
Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sarah Alysse is a corporate stress management coach that helps companies cultivate a low stress environment so that their employees can be happier and more productive. She’s the creator and CEO of Live Well Enhance You which formed out of a need for her Pilates clients to find balance in their lives. She branched into the corporate market to assist employees in creating out of the box wellness solutions. She utilizes her BFA Musical Theater Performance background to coach others how to be confident and understand the connection between the brain and body. Spanning over a decade, Sarah has collected an abundance of certifications from Integrative Institute of Nutrition, STOTT Pilates, to National Academy of Sports Medicine. She’s been featured on WGN's Living Healthy and WGN Around Town’s segment as a Stress Management Expert. Also, she has been promoted on Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Authority, Kivo Daily, LA Wire, The Chicago Journal, NY Wire, NY Weekly, IdeaMensch, and US Reporter. In addition, she’s the host of the Stress Free SOULutions podcast.
