Supporting your team through times of change
Providing wellbeing support to your team can be done in many ways, depending on your employees individual needs. Whether it’s stress around transitional periods or feeling under represented at work, Human Resources expert, Guy Hughes, and Health and Wellbeing Manager, June Clark, and Deborah Meaden discuss how to provide effective support to employees in the workplace.
Leading through times of change
Transitions and change can impact all areas of our lives, including our work. While some view it as an opportunity, others may feel stressed and need support from those around them to face the challenge. Our panel of experts - Deborah Meaden, Guy Hughes, and June Clark share their tips for managers looking to help their employees manage periods of change.
Look for verbal and non-verbal signs
Verbal signs someone may be struggling: Pay attention to what they talk about but also topics/conversations they might be avoiding. If they are bringing up a particular worry often, you may be able to reassure them or help signpost them to resources that could help. You can also spot stress or worry in what they avoid talking about. If you find someone is changing the conversation or avoiding answering certain questions, it may indicate that they are anxious about those topics.
Non-verbal signs someone may be struggling: A person’s body language can be a good indicator they may be stressed, anxious or otherwise having a hard time with a change in their life. They may appear more fidgety, tense, or tired than usual, or you may find they keep to themselves more.
Help them identify what is worrying them
Specific worries: If they can identify what it is about this change that is causing stress, you’ll be in a better position to help an employee or colleague find resources that may help them.
Nonspecific worries: Sometimes an employee won’t be able to pinpoint what is worrying them about a change, and by simply asking the question you can help them realise that while it’s natural to feel uncertain about the next steps, it’s also an opportunity for growth.
Research initiatives you can implement
Reach out to charities: Remember that you don’t need to try and support your team on your own! Reach out to mental health charities like Mind, or charities that may deal with the specific issues your employees are facing for extra support. They will be able to provide you with resources for wellbeing programs you may want to use in the workplace.
Wellbeing training courses: Most workplaces have first aiders on site, but few know about mental health first aiders. Mental health first aiders are able to “provide support, encouragement and signpost someone experiencing poor mental health to support available to them”.1 Mental health first aiders offer an empathetic ear to anyone needing to talk about their worries or challenges and there are many inexpensive mental health first aid training courses you can enrol your team in. This is just one type of wellbeing training you may wish to use in your business.
Build a wellbeing culture around your employees
Health and wellness are different for everyone: While there are certain general health and wellbeing strategies that can be useful to most people, every member of your staff is unique and will have different challenges and needs. Keep this in mind when looking for signs someone is struggling, when chatting about worries, and when implementing wellbeing programs.
Engage your staff in the process: Ask your employees for ideas on wellbeing programs or initiatives they’re interested in seeing in the workplace. Tailoring these to the individuals you work alongside can be more helpful to their wellbeing than introducing something more generic but less engaging.
1. https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/What-is-a-mental-health-first-…
Supporting Equal Opportunities
Equal opportunities at work are very important to your employees wellbeing, as it shows they are valued and recognised for their contribution to the workplace regardless of race, religion, sexuality, gender, or disability. Guy Hughes and June Clark, join Deborah Meaden in offering three pieces of advice on providing equal opportunities in the workplace.
Representation matters
Check your media: As Guy says, “People can’t aspire to be what they can’t see”, so making sure you are representing the diversity of your current staff in any photographs you have on your website, social media, or physical media is important. It can be inspiring for those with diverse backgrounds to see people like them represented by your company, because they see they can achieve the same things, and that your business is an inclusive place.
Check your language: The language used in and around your workplace can also have an impact on employees’ sense of belonging. We may not realise that certain words imply a specific age, gender, or social class, and can alienate those who don’t feel represented by that language. For example, saying “Let’s get started guys” at the beginning of a meeting can automatically make non-male team members feel less welcome. Feeling represented by the language used at a company matters just as much as visual media.
Provide balanced opportunities
During the hiring process: Take a close look at your job postings to make sure you are not unconsciously targeting a specific type of person over any other. Once again, language used here should be inclusive to ensure you are getting a balance of genders, ages, or races applying for the job you are hiring for. Once you have a short list of candidates, you should also ensure these are as balanced and diverse as they can be. If all the applicants are similar, you may try to advertise the job again in a few new places to ensure a wider variety of qualified candidates apply.
During the promotion process: When looking to promote internally, it’s also important to make sure you are being balanced with your shortlisted candidates. For example, if you’re looking to promote, opportunities should be available to all who qualify, not only to the men or to those under 50 in your organisation.
Recognise where individuals may need more support
There is no one-size fits all: Every individual in your company will need different levels of support at different times, and what helps one person stay happy and healthy may not work for others. Some employees may need extra support to improve or learn new skills needed for a new role or promotion. Providing equal opportunities in the workplace means supporting all employees to do their job to the best of their abilities, and that may mean additional training or more one-to-one meetings for some of your colleagues.
