Taking the stress out of work

Looking after employee wellbeing is set to be a big priority for businesses this year.

One reason behind this is that the next 12 months are expected to see the jobs market recover in a big way – resulting in a high demand for talented workers. With the last couple of years remaining relatively stagnant as far as people switching companies was concerned, this is all set to change, with those who feel they can get a better deal elsewhere beginning to look for pastures new as confidence returns.

As a result, firms are under pressure to give their best workers reasons to stay where they are – hence the predicted emphasis on staff retention for many.

So what can you do to make sure that your staff don’t want to leave for what they perceive to be greener grass? For a start, you can take a look at possible problems that are likely to make them decide they would want to jump ship.

Under pressure

Stress can be a major player when it comes to why workers may wish to leave their current job – especially if they feel as though their salary doesn’t warrant the amount of pressure they are coming under.

There are plenty of sources that could be responsible for this stress – some of which you can do more about to try and alleviate it than others. For example, target deadlines are often a cause of concern that can leave workers with occasional sleepless nights. If you can’t lower the targets or take on more staff to spread the workload because it will affect the success of the company, then you will have to look at what else you can do to remove pressure in other areas.

One approach to tough targets could simply be to appreciate the strain that your workforce may be under. If you appear to be understanding of the task they are facing and are approachable when it comes to dealing with any concerns or issues your employees may have, this could go some way towards making them feel less daunted.

Home comforts

Long hours and uncomfortable, sterile surroundings may also add to feelings of disgruntlement among your workers. However, there is an easy solution you can take to address this problem before it becomes a major issue.

Allowing staff to occasionally work from home no longer has the disruptive effect on business that it may once have had and you can find out how conference calls can make the difference here. Communication is definitely key – making sure that homeworkers remain connected with the office ensures that the day-to-day running of a firm can continue regardless of where your employees are based.

Several previous studies have shown that flexible working policies can actively lower stress levels among the workforce by creating a better balance between office life and home life. In the battle to keep staff happy, this could be critical and ultimately be the difference in growing your business in 2014.