It’s not always easy to find balance in the 21st century - particularly for employers in a global pandemic.
The Covid era has flipped the workplace on its head; from remote working to the great resignation, employers and HR professionals are dealing with a constantly changing set of demands and expectations - particularly when it comes to staff wellbeing.
But the journey has just begun. So what will be the key areas to monitor in 2022 - and how can we find balance among them?
Here are six points of balance for employers to aim for in 2022, to help themselves and their people to flourish.
1) Patience X Progress
Before we launch into a list of factors that companies should consider for staff wellbeing, let’s just take a moment for the people trying to implement them. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance it’s you.
Employers and HR people have their own lives, worries and wellbeing to look after, let alone those of the many staff they might represent. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
There’s been a lot going on and we're all doing our best. The new demands on supporting employee wellbeing have accelerated. There’s a lot more we “should” be doing and it can feel overwhelming.
But this is a long game, of testing, feeding back, measuring, reassessing, taking steps forward, sometimes taking steps back - and that’s OK. Progress takes time and some of the biggest changes can come from small, inexpensive tweaks.
All we can do is our best - so let’s make sure that those setting the wellbeing policies are looking at the long-term and taking care of themselves along the way, in order to give their best to the task at hand.
2) Culture X Individual
As the other saying goes, we do, indeed, all have mental health, which all employers would benefit from looking after. But every organisation is different and every human has individual needs.
After many companies dipped their toes into the wellbeing water in 2021, successful strategies in 2022 will continue to focus on the broader environment, system and culture in which employees operate. This will require establishing and taking a strong grasp of company values, geared towards a safe and supportive culture, strategically implemented into policies, communication and training.
In tandem, while making sure the water tank is clean, each fish also need to be fed and cared for. Among everything else the pandemic has highlighted, one is how everybody is different - from their home-life, working styles, personality types and motivations. Cultural, ethnic and neurodiversity all play a role and should be acknowledged in the individuals who may fall into minorities.
Staff members may all wear the same style, but no one size fits all; requiring a diverse range of offerings and ways to access them, to ensure nobody gets left behind.
3) Top down X Bottom up
For any said cultural change to happen, leaders must be fully engaged. Yet for many employers, senior level buy-in can still be the biggest hurdle. As the movement behind workplace wellbeing expands, pioneer employers are leading the charge for others to learn, grow and have senior leaders pledge their commitment, as wellbeing moves higher on the agenda for investors in company's ESG reports.
At the other end of that hierarchical spectrum, leaders can only make informed decisions by knowing what's happening, at every level of the workforce. Increasing communication through ongoing feedback, engaging wellbeing champions and employee resource groups, will help to ensure those company values run through the veins of the business.
4) Flexibility X Boundaries
The pandemic has opened a world of opportunity for remote working. But, that familiar paradox of freedom can cause as many problems as it solves.
Many employees now expect a level of flexibility within their working week. But from the employers’ perspective, that doesn't necessarily help with either productivity or building culture.
Equally, while employees might believe they want to work from home, it isn't necessarily good for their own health or productivity, to do so.
One of the greatest challenges in finding balance in 2022, will be to allow a level of freedom, within very clear boundaries on what's expected, to optimise happiness and performance. The above points on communication will be vital in understanding what employees want and need, while also informing them on why boundaries are in place and how they will benefit.
5) Mental health X Holistic health
The mental health movement has shone a light on how little attention we've been paying to our minds. But, as it does, it comes full circle to some of the other areas of life which require attention, in order to maintain them.
Our mental and emotional health is impacted by areas such as our financial health, our working and living environment, our physical and intellectual health and our spiritual health - our need for purpose and meaning. Having strong social and professional connections is a key part of our overall happiness - not to mention, another factor in maintaining organisational culture.
While this may sound like a lot, they're all areas which contribute and, if employers are taking up the majority of their staff's time and lives, they're factors which they undoubtedly influence - and should therefore consider - in improving overall wellbeing.
6) Digital X Human
Whether employees prefer to confide in humans, apps or robots is a grey and complicated area. Depending on the people involved and the situation - as per the above point on individuality - their desire for engagement, or to open up, will differ.
There is an abundance of tech and apps available to support workplace mental health, providing access to resources, counsellors and chat bots; and can also provide data on any underlying problems. With the right technology, such data can also help to better understand both the cultural and individual needs mentioned above.
But most of us need human connection of some kind, in order to feel connected. On one hand, training mental health champions can provide such an outlet when needed, while training managers to understand the signals and bring out the best in their staff, provides a more human approach.
Within the digital theme, employers should also be conscious of the increasing reliance on our devices, particularly as we continue to work from home. Added to the previous list of factors which impact our health, providing tools, training and policies to help reduce screen time - whether in or out of working hours - can help to improve people's digital wellbeing.