Like many other employers, you most likely wonder how it’s possible to keep your employees engaged in these challenging times. In fact, in October of 2020, the Harvard Business School interviewed 600 CEOs, asking them: “What is keeping you awake at night during this global pandemic?” A top response that’s trending points to concerns over employee well-being and how to maintain the connection among team members.
Here at A.I.M. Mutual, our President & CEO Mike Standing agrees. “Our senior leadership team talks about this regularly, and we understand communication with our employees has never been more critical,” he said. “We’ve come up with some creative and practical ways to stay in touch, such as department and all-colleague Zoom meetings.”
While you, as the employer, can’t single-handedly address all work-life balance issues, you do have the ability to exercise certain practices to keep your employees motivated and engaged in your workplace culture.
Here are some practices that, if consistently communicated, can increase employee morale and motivation during uncertain times:
1. Consistent Leadership Communication:
Whether you realize it or not, employees look to company leadership to set the tone for the rest of the company. By providing a simple employee update on a weekly or monthly basis, you’re able to communicate the facts, squash myths in the rumor mill, and encourage motivation through messaging company goals and values.
2. Focus on Connection:
For many, transitioning to 100 percent virtual has been a new adventure. Take time as a manager to remind team members of their individual value and strengths that contribute to the overall success of the group. Also, foster and encourage friendships among the team. The reality is that people who have a best friend at work tend to be happier employees, so taking a few moments to encourage creativity in fostering those relationships could go a long way.
3. Think Outside the Box:
If nothing else, this past year has required us to embrace change! So, take that creativity and apply it to how you engage your employees. What if you took your in-person well-being offerings and transitioned them to a 24/7 app-based program? These apps help employees focus on how they can best care for themselves and their families. It was well received by A.I.M. Mutual employees, who are using it for exercise, recipes, meditation, sleep tips, and more.
Also, take the annual company event that you once held in-person and find a virtual alternative. We had great success with a virtual game-show challenge. The possibilities are endless.
The reality is that even though employees spend approximately a quarter of their weekly hours on the job, there is a great opportunity to impact the other 75 percent of their life with the appropriate resources, tools, and programs. There’s value in listening to what your employees need and spending time and resources to meet them where they’re at, so that even during a pandemic, positive growth can occur.
References: Groysberg, Boris and Abrahams, Robin, “Keep Your Weary Workers Engaged and Motivated,” Harvard Business School, Working Knowledge: B, Business Research for Business Leaders, October 8, 2020.
Share This Article
ABOUT
Martha Gagnon, CWP, CWPP, is the Health & Wellness Navigator at A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies. She joined A.I.M. Mutual in May 2013 as Wellness Coordinator and developed the Companies’ A.I.M. Vantage wellness initiative, designed to help interested policyholders create a culture of wellness at their workplaces. As a Health & Wellness Navigator, she ensures that not only do policyholders have access to the resources and tools necessary to create a sustainable culture of wellness but that injured workers have access to programming that allows for the removal of barriers that can prevent them from returning to work and living their best life. She is a Certified Wellness Practitioner through the National Wellness Institute and is Certified in Positive Psychology through the Wholebeing Institute.