How to increase staff engagement and productivity

Due to COVID, we're experiencing a new way of working... And a whole new way of life.

It's likely that many of these changes to how we work and how we operate will remain long after restrictions are lifted.

So, as leaders, we need to get smarter with how we keep employees engaged, how we maintain high productivity and how we retain best talent.

And the best way of doing this is by investing in our people - not only in their personal development, but their health and wellbeing too.

Numerous studies have shown that enhancing wellbeing in the workforce, boosts employee engagement, reduces absenteeism, improves productivity and increases retention.

All of these benefits bring out the best talent potential within the workforce and lead to greater financial outcomes for the business overall.

It makes sense really - happier employees reach their potential faster and become more invested in the success of the company.

So if you're looking for new ways to boost engagement and productivity in your business, call me today on 0417 672 991 or send me an email at john@eps-aus.com to see how we can work together to improve the wellbeing of your people.

Recognising the signs of poor mental health in the workplace

This week, on Monday, 10th October marked World Mental Health Day; a day that aims to educate and raise awareness of mental health issues around the globe. With one in five people suffering from mental illnesses each year in Australia alone, it’s a major issue we’re all faced with, both at home and in the workplace. It’s important for individuals to recognise how to improve their own personal wellbeing, but it’s equally, if not more vital for organisations to understand how to detect mental illnesses in their employees and be able to support them through these challenging times.

Mental illness can come in many forms, but it generally affects the way you think, feel and behave. It distorts your normal perceptions of the world around you and decreases your ability to cope with, and bounce back from life’s many challenges.

The science of happiness

Renowned psychologist, Martin Seligman, theorised a scientific model of happiness, known as the PERMA model. It’s made up of five core elements that contribute to an individual’s overall wellbeing and positive mental state. These elements include:

• Positive emotions – experiencing good thoughts and feelings of happiness, optimism and positivity.

• Engagement – completely immersing yourself in an activity that allows you to feel present and in the moment, without realising the concept of time.

• Relationships – having positive connections with people who lift your mood rather than deplete you of energy.

• Meaning – feeling like you have purpose; like you’re part of something.

• Accomplishment – achieving objectives and feeling a sense of forward progression.

When all of these elements are aligned and at their peak, an individual is known to be ‘flourishing’ which enables them to have a heightened resilience when faced with bumps in the road. From an organisational perspective, these factors are a good indicator of an individual or team’s overall happiness. If you don’t think they’re at an optimal level, these are the factors that need to be addressed to improve their wellbeing.

Identifying changes in character

It’s likely that you know someone in your organisation who has a mental illness or has suffered from one in the past, however, it generally goes unnoticed because of two factors. Firstly, it’s difficult to detect someone who has a mental issue, because it manifests differently in each person. And the second reason is that people with mental illnesses usually suffer in silence due to feelings of shame, pride and most of all, fear of judgement.

Mental issues are most commonly observed by changes in character. In a work setting, these signs are usually evident in a sudden dip in performance and/or productivity, fluctuations in personality and temperament, obvious physiological changes and frequent bouts of sickness or absenteeism.

Communication and support

There’s no quick solution to combating mental health disorders, however as an employer, it’s your role to simply be understanding and supportive of your employees throughout this difficult time. At EPS, we encourage regular communication within teams to enable a supportive environment for issues of this nature in the workplace.

Sometimes it can be as simple as reaching out and offering a listening ear to begin the road to recovery. So next time you notice someone you know is a bit out of sorts, you may like to ask them if they’re OK, and you might help them more than you think.

EPS – Let’s work better together.

EPS provides corporate counsel and professional advice to senior executives and their respective teams to set them up for real success. Get in touch today to see how we can help you. 

Call us now on 0417 672 991     www.eps-aus.com     Follow us on Linkedin