19. November 2021
“I hate my job!” – a phrase that makes every HR manager shiver. And with the “great resignation” seeding the fear these days, it’s a phrase to surely pay attention to. Though competition urges businesses to push their extremely valuable employees to their limits, it may eventually lead to burnout in the long run. It’s fairly arguable that a burnout can be cured by a paycheck. Attention needs to be paid to what’s really wrong in the big picture. Well, let’s see what can be done.
What is resilience?
Resilience stands for the capacity to emotionally and mentally cope with challenges, stressful circumstances and (in the worst case) crises. It is a crucial quality of a team to propel a business all the way to the top. In other words, greater resilience in the workplace increases employee performance and engagement, reduces stress and prevents burnouts. Sounds like something to look for, right?
What creates resilience?
A responsible leader. Interestingly enough, a survey from the US identified that 35% of American workers say their boss is the main source of stress at work. To prevent that, leaders have to commit to creating a culture of trust in the workplace, where employees feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. Leaders with no tolerance for mistakes ultimately bring about a feeling of hostility, fear of failure, and (the worst of all) shame to the team – morale drops, productivity decreases, innovation declines.
Flexibility. The global pandemic has demonstrated that working from home can be as productive, as working from the office. It might be a good idea to allow (and maybe even encourage) your employees to work remotely. Change in the environment helps to look at things from a different angle
Employee support. Your employees are your most valuable asset, and thus they also require care and support. A mindfulness training, for example, to decrease stress and enhance overall employee well-being could be just the way to go. There are different techniques of dealing with stress and coping with challenges, so having your team to learn them will increase their stress-proof capabilities.
But most of all: what about the work quality?
All obvious factors aside, there is one outstanding common denominator when it comes to people who are happy at work. It’s the quality they feel in what they do. People who like (or even love) their job get the most gratification from their work and what they do – intrinsically. That makes them much more immune to stress, gives them more energy and usually lifts up a team as well.
That work quality, however, covers all aspects of the job. Not only what you do, but how you do it, how much you do it and what you get out of it. It needs to be a good balance for the individual. Look out for that in your employees. After all: a resilient team of employees will withstand any challenges.
