The idea of a work–life balance is incredibly appealing, and over the past two decades, this concept has been the core of many employee engagement strategies. It assumes a separation between work and life, and offers employees the opportunity to have them in equal proportions. But now days with the current landscape and fast-paced business environment, it doesn’t seem to work as fluidly as what it used to.
With the world constantly developing, we find ourselves living in an era where our lives seem to be a juggling act. Thanks to technology; our career, social lives, family and personal lives are all becoming integrated. With technology bringing us closer to work even when we’re on vacation, how can one separate the two whilst also promoting wellbeing?
Perhaps a work-life blend, rather than a balance is a more fitting solution going forward. Instead of creating individual zones for the activities we do, this solution allows for us to mix the different facets of our lives together, leaving us in a better space with a clearer mindset.
Here are tips on how employers and managers can help introduce a beneficial work–life blend.
- Provide flexibility
There are many different ways to offer your employees flexibility when it comes to working hours. One can offer work-from-home options, offsets in schedule as well as fully flexible shifts. This can give employees more control over their tasks and their time, thus boosting employee satisfaction and productivity. This being said, some employees prefer to stick to the standard office hours, which one should allow them to do should they wish. The idea is to allow people to make their own decisions that fit their lifestyle and preferences, for optimal productivity.
- Encourage self-care through a healthy work environment
Create an environment that is favourable towards a healthy lifestyle and overall wellness. Encourage frequent breaks that get people moving, accessibility to healthy snacks, and encourage participation in sporting activities. Discourage all-nighters and frequent overtime work. Cube Workspace strongly believes in having green office environments, to encourage wellbeing further, which is why all of our offices nationwide are greenery. Being surrounded by nature has been proven to improve concentration, lessen attention fatigue and drive productivity by up to 20%. Plants in office spaces produce higher morale and happiness amongst employees, no matter whether that’s an artificial plant or simply a picture frame of art. A real quick fix to improve your employees’ wellbeing and productivity.
- Focus more on output quality than time
When managing a project, keep in mind that different people have different workstyles and strengths. Some employees spend more time working on a project than others, but still hand in work of poor quality, due to them not using methods that encourage efficiency. On the other hand, some staff work quickly without sacrificing on quality. This way, they’ll get more free time for the things that matter most to them. Leverage your employees in terms of their strengths to get the best output in the most efficient way. Time spent on the job is not an indicator of performance, so do not make your staff feel bad for leaving the office early if their work is done for the day.
- Talk to your employees
Communication is key! If you don’t know what your employees are feeling or needing, you won’t be able increase employee satisfaction. Talking to your employees is the key to delivering an employee experience, that effectively boosts their productivity and motivation. Make it a point to regularly ask your staff about feedback on their work, as well as their personal lives, so that they feel like you care about them as people. Ensure that they also feel like they can come to you, as their manager, to chat whenever they are struggling with anything or to simply brainstorm. The more open communication is in your business, the more likely you are to have a team that enjoys their work and therefore enhances production.
- Encourage employee training, workshops and education
The fast pace of the ever-changing digital- and tech-world makes it challenging to keep up with everything. Therefore, it’s imperative to constantly arrange trainings and workshops for your team to keep their knowledge base updated. Help your employees to thrive and grow as people, by encouraging continuous learning. This too will have a knock-on effect on your business, as it will ensure that your business stays up to date with trends instead of being left behind by competitors keeping up with the times.
Find your work-life blend solution at Cube Workspace.
