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Learning & Development

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI

While AI can offer opportunities to increase employee productivity, it doesn’t always live up to the hype. We still need our creative and critical thinking skills. Now, more than ever.

AI analyzes more data than any of us could in our entire lifetimes. But it can’t think for itself.

So those unique connections that only come from human experiences and emotions aren’t going to happen without human input.

A recent study by the Harvard Business Review found that AI actually intensifies work.

Using AI, employees worked faster, did more, and worked for longer hours. That might sound great, but it’s just not sustainable. In other words, AI does increase employee productivity, but for how long? And, at what cost?

Overreliance on AI can lead to worse decision-making, burnout, and cognitive fatigue. So in the end, your business is back where it started. If not worse off because nobody has the problem-solving skills to fix anything anymore.

AI use can lead to worse decision-making, burnout, and cognitive fatigue.

To keep employees (and shareholders) happy, you need to balance the use of AI and the human side of work. How do you do that? Here are some suggestions that can increase employee productivity in a sustainable way—without relying entirely on AI:

Stop relying on AI so much

The first one is obvious. Simply stop relying on AI so much.

Since the rise of AI, workers spend 60% less time doing deep work. The risk of employee disengagement is now 23%. 

Without time to do deep work, and when feeling disengaged, does it really increase employee productivity? Or does it just create the illusion of being productive because a tool is doing the work for them?

And let’s not forget that creativity and critical thinking skills are muscles. The less someone uses them, the less capable they are of using them.

Rather than relying on AI to do the work, use it for the framework and to speed up tedious processes.

If AI does the thinking for them, employees won’t upskill as fast—if at all. And they won’t retain most of what they learn, if anything.

Remember the power of doing things the old-fashioned way

We rely so much on technology these days it’s easy to forget how helpful it can be to do things the old-fashioned way. Sometimes more tech isn’t the answer when thinking about how to increase employee productivity.

Whether it’s pen and paper, Post-it notes, or a whiteboard, they all help us externalize our ideas, brainstorm with colleagues, and find solutions.

Sometimes, these in-person get togethers can help us work through challenges faster. They’re a way to think aloud without the distractions that can come from working remotely, like endless notifications.

Allow space for creativity

In the corporate world, it can feel increasingly challenging to find time to be creative. But, if businesses want to stay innovative, encouraging a culture of creativity is imperative.

Whether that’s giving employees time to explore new projects, offering volunteering opportunities, hosting hackathons, or something else, providing your team members a break from daily tasks is key. It can blow the cobwebs away and increase employee productivity.

Pattern interrupts break us out of funks. They can only happen when we do things that are different from usual.

Some of the most creative, innovative minds, from Ada Lovelace to Winston Churchill, were equal parts creative and scientific. Lovelace was a writer as well as the world’s first computer programmer. Churchill was a painter as well as a politician.

In fact, Lovelace called her approach “poetical science.” And if anyone knows how those two things work together, it’s her.

Sometimes, the most unrelated activities enable us to become the most accomplished in our fields.

It’s not always about producing something to share with the rest of the world, or even that we’re entirely happy with.

It’s about learning and nurturing a new skill that keeps our brains sharp, and helps us form connections that, without those unrelated interests, we’d be unable to make.

Value quality over output

The more skilled someone is, the faster they can produce quality output. But everyone has a line.

And there also comes a point where, for instance, if you publish too much, are you watering down your own message? Are you contributing something of value to the conversation, or adding more slop to the internet (AI or otherwise)?

Likewise, if you’re shipping product updates that aren’t ready yet and require more testing, what impact will that have on your customer experience and therefore your brand?

In a world that’s so output-driven, sometimes slowing down and focusing on quality can make you stand out. Looking to increase employee productivity to the detriment of quality will only hurt you in the long-run.

Treat employees with kindness and empathy

The way you and the rest of your business treats employees during difficult times affects employee productivity more than you might think. And that’s true in both the short- and long-term. If your team members don’t feel valued and cared for, any attempts to increase employee productivity are likely to fall flat.

Difficult times like losing a colleague or loved one are a reminder that, unless you’re working in emergency services, very little of what we do is truly urgent. Not in the grand scheme of things.

Offering employees space to grieve and attend to any necessary personal matters is important.

Grief isn’t linear. Giving them a safe space to talk about what’s going on, and plenty of breathing room, will help them recover more quickly than pressuring them to hit deadlines that felt more important before their world shifted on its axis.

Encourage breaks

Whether it’s a coffee break or a vacation, breaks are vital if you want to increase employee productivity. Nobody can do the same thing over and over again forever. Even AI starts to hallucinate and go around in circles if you’re not careful.

Regular breaks can help employees find solutions to their problems more quickly. Sometimes, all we need is some fresh air to help us realize the answer was in front of us all along. (See previous point about pattern interrupts.)

Vacations play a big role in productivity, too. If we spend too long doing the same thing it can lead us to go stir crazy. A new location, where we think about something totally differently, can take our minds away from everyday stressors and help us reset.

Connect them with their colleagues

Workplace friendships are powerful. When people care about their colleagues, they want to help them, so they put more effort in. It’s as simple as that.

Fostering workplace connections through things like ERGs is therefore one of your most effective ways to increase employee productivity.

Want to get more out of your employee groups? That’s where Workrowd comes in. Keep everything in one place, provide a better employee experience, and connect your employees like never before. Get in touch to find out more.

Conclusion 

If you want to increase employee productivity, it isn’t always about having the latest or most expensive tools. Sometimes, it’s about going back to basics. Ensuring they use their brains first, then the tech. Treating colleagues with kindness and compassion. And remembering that without humans, there is no business.

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI
9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome
8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute
Categories
Employee Retention

9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome

The way you welcome new employees makes or breaks your entire relationship with your hires. 80% of employees would stay somewhere longer if the role had a better onboarding process, while 86% decide how long they’ll stay at a company within the first six months.

So, the better your onboarding process, the more likely you are to keep your new hires and get the most from them.

But how can you welcome new employees and actually make them feel like valued members of your team?

Contact them before they start

65% of employees receive some form of preboarding. This could be an email, for example, detailing what they need to know—or bring—on their first day.

It might include:

  • What time they start
  • Where to go (especially if you have multiple entrances)
  • Where to park/public transport options
  • What software you use
  • If they get a laptop, smartphone, or tablet

If you’re going to welcome new employees by onboarding them remotely, it might include:

  • What date their laptop will arrive
  • Any tools they need in advance to get started
  • What time to log on
  • The time of their first meeting

Set up the basics

When it’s time to welcome new employees, you need to set up the basics before they start. This includes things like:

  • Laptop and other devices
  • Microsoft 365/Google Workspace/similar account and email address
  • Password manager
  • Any other tools or accounts they might need access to, like social media

Doing this upfront provides a better employee experience and makes you look more organized. Employees having to wait around because their account hasn’t been set up provides a bad experience and adds additional stress for everyone.

Work together

Most employees believe onboarding is the responsibility of HR or people operations (42.5%), followed by 32.7% who think it should be a shared process between HR, managers, and team members.

Personally, I’m part of the latter camp. It’s managers and teammates your new hire will be dealing with daily, not HR (hopefully).

So at the very least, managers and HR teams need to work together to welcome new employees via a seamless onboarding process. One that covers everything from a legal standpoint, a technical one, and a company culture one. That can only be achieved through a collaborative effort.

Have a clear onboarding process

The more disorganized your onboarding process is, the worse it’ll reflect on your business. Even if you don’t have a consistent onboarding process across your organization, there should be some sort of checklist for each department to help them welcome new employees and ensure new hires learn everything they need to know.

Explain how things work

Some things may seem simple to you, but for new employees, they might be confusing. 

Encourage your new hire to ask questions. It’s much better for them to ask what they might perceive to be a stupid question than struggle to get in a door because their pass won’t work, not know how to use a software, or be unable to find their way around the building. It’s the little things like this that really make a big difference when it’s time to welcome new employees.

And yes, I have stood outside an office door desperately trying to get my pass to work until someone took pity on me.

Train them 

57% of new hires get on-the-job training. Online training videos, process documentation, virtual classes/modules, and peer-guided assistance are popular forms of training.

Whatever option you use, make sure it’s ready to go before they start, and make it clear how long they’ve got to get through the material. You don’t want to overwhelm them, but you want to ensure they know everything they need to know.

You also want to ensure they can refer to the training if they need to. There’s no way they’ll remember everything alongside the stress of starting a new job. And that’s fine. Just make it easy for them to reference what they’ve learned when they need it.

You want to welcome new employees with an eye towards their long-term success with your organization.

Make documents easy to find

Most onboarding documentation these days is going to be digital, which can be more eco-friendly.

But it’s not always time-efficient if those files are impossible to find.

We’ve all dug through a labyrinth of folders before, only to discover that we don’t have permission to access the file, and the person who can give us that access has left.

Make sure that if you’re not printing documentation off for new hires to read, they know where to find it in your folders. And that they actually have permission to view it. Otherwise, it’ll just slow everyone down and your efforts to welcome new employees may not feel so welcoming.

Introduce them to colleagues

I once had to message someone I’d never spoken to before asking for help with a project at work. I’m terrible with introductions, and this person had no idea who I was, nor did they care about my ability to do my job.

I never got a reply.

This is a pattern I’ve heard about from other people, too, where, because there was never a formal introduction, and that person didn’t know their new colleague, they weren’t willing to help. 

What’s worse is that sometimes they’ll just outright ignore their new colleague, leaving a bad impression of that team and your company culture.

Introducing employees to people from other departments who they’ll need to work with ensures that when they do need something, they’re more likely to get a reply. They’re no longer just someone asking for a favor; they’re a friendly face in need of some help. That small introduction can go a long way toward helping them do their job better in the short- and long-term.

Simple steps like this can help you welcome new employees in a way that strengthens your broader team at the same time.

Set them up with employee groups

Your employee groups help your new hire form beneficial relationships with colleagues who have similar goals, interests, or backgrounds. The groups can support them to grow their careers, get help with projects (see example above), and make new friends.

Using Workrowd, you can manage all your employee groups, events, and programs in one place. It’s a one-stop-shop for everything your employees need. It makes it easy to welcome new employees and empower them to build a personalized experience that ensures they stick around. Want to find out more? Get in touch to book your free demo.

Conclusion

Your employee onboarding is your new hire’s first impression of what it’s really like to work for your company. They get to look behind the curtain, and if they don’t like what they see, they won’t stay long.

To effectively welcome new employees, you need to provide an onboarding process that helps them learn everything they need, introduces them to the people they’ll be working with, and ensures they have the tools and knowledge required to excel in their roles.

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI
9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome
8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute
Categories
Company Culture

8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute

The widespread return to office push isn’t going that well. And while office culture is far from the only reason, it’s still a major part of the equation.

Traveling into an office just isn’t appealing anymore. Why would it be when rent is at an all-time high, and wages aren’t going up at the same rate? Most full-time workers can’t even entertain the idea of a mortgage these days.

If you want employees to come into your office and actually be engaged, you have to do more than make it mandatory.

Forcing employees who once worked remotely back on-site is asking for mass resignations. At the same time, only offering office-based working limits your talent pool.

So how do you make your office culture worth the commute? No, it isn’t a ping pong table.

Understand the ripple effect

When your business has a strong culture, it quadruples your revenue and leads to higher retention. 88% of employees also say that company culture is key when job hunting.

If your managers hate their jobs—or their employees—everyone will be able to tell. And no one will want to be there.

They’re called leaders for a reason. They set the tone for the rest of your business. It’s as simple—and as complex—as that.

Toxic cultures like this are responsible for 45% of resignations and an increase in employee burnout. And 42% of employees think executive leaders don’ t contribute to a positive company culture. So you need to teach your managers how to control their emotions, and how to lead. Otherwise no one is going to want to be there.

I’ve sat in an office before with an unwelcoming manager, too afraid to ask for help or even say anything because of their sour expression. Said manager wasn’t mad at me—something had happened at home. But their response created an unhealthy atmosphere in the office that kept everyone else away and made nobody want to be there.

This is obviously less of a problem when employees work remotely and don’t see negative colleagues all day in person. But if you want a healthy office culture, you have to remember how team members’ attitudes can affect each other.

Train your managers

To avoid the example above, you need to train your managers. The majority never receive any formal training. Without training, they have no idea how to best support their employees, let alone develop the emotional awareness to stop their own feelings from impacting your office culture.

Coaching, mentoring, and even employee groups can teach your managers how to work with your employees instead of against them.

You could even use employee groups to manage your mentoring and coaching initiatives, helping employees connect with the right people to help them grow in their careers.

Use in-person meetings for good, not evil

In-person meetings can be great for coming up with new ideas and helping everyone get heard if done right.

But sometimes, they aren’t the solution they sound like. Instead, meetings become a way for the loudest voices in the room to be heard, not an effective way to solve problems or progress on new projects.

Meeting fatigue is real and can seriously hurt your office culture. You therefore need to strike the balance between using them to create energy and them being an excuse to look busy.

Respect people’s space

Offices can be noisy and overwhelming. Giving employees a quiet space to reflect, concentrate, or just get some alone time can go a long way to supporting employees who are neurodiverse, have an overactive nervous system, dislike bright lights, or who are going through a tough time and need to clear their heads.

Quiet rooms are also useful for deep focus, something that it’s not always easy to do when surrounded by colleagues talking; the clacking of keys; the sound of people breathing; overhearing other people’s music; the cold office fan; the buzz of the A/C…offices can be so overwhelming. The more you do to mitigate that, the more you’re going to get from your employees. And the more you’re going to improve your office culture.

Forget the ping pong table

Ping pong tables sound fun. But they’re so 2010. They’re now a transparent way of saying that you expect employees to focus on work and nothing else.

It’s really not healthy for someone to spend all day, every day, in the same building. Walking meetings, time in nature, and even having a meeting in a coffee shop all have benefits for your employees and their wellbeing. So why not encourage them?

Use your location to your advantage. Don’t worry about having an in-office ping pong table or other attractions.

Instead, encourage your employees to go out to places on their lunch breaks, after work, or even for meetings. This can reinforce employee relationships and give them a change of scenery that could offer them a fresh perspective.

Sometimes building a great office culture is about making sure employees get a taste of the world outside the office.

Use greenery

Plants improve our wellbeing. Even looking at plants on a screen can have beneficial effects. So those office plants you thought were pointless are actually useful. Not only do they add personality to a space, but they also create a sense of calm across your office culture.

If you’re not particularly green fingered, hire someone to care for your plants, pay an employee a little extra to do it, or get fake ones. Most of the time, nobody will be able to tell the difference anyway. And looking at a fake plant is better than looking at a dead one.

Have a networking breakfast

Offering employees a chance to get to know each other over coffee and a bagel is a low-effort way for them to connect. Food is a great ice breaker, too.

Integrating the occasional breakfast into your office culture also gives your team members the chance to wake up before they start the day without taking time away from their evenings with loved ones, or winding down.

Set up an office-based employee group

Having an employee group for employees based in your office gives them a chance to ask for recommendations of places to eat, get to know new colleagues who’ll be working there, and share updates like what’s happening in the building.

These small conversations help improve in-person relationships between your employees, creating a more welcoming office culture.

Try Workrowd

Using Workrowd, you can set up groups like this and make them easy for employees to find and navigate.

Everything they need to know stays in one place, making them more likely to use the tool and get more out of it. Want to find out more? Book your free demo.

Conclusion 

Office culture relies on more than just so-called perks. It’s about the people who spend time in your office and how they interact with each other. That starts with your managers and how they treat their employees. Creating opportunities for connection beyond work-related conversations gives them the chance to see their colleagues as friends and build a positive and supportive office culture.

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI
9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome
8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute
Categories
Employee Engagement

10 tips for how to keep a global team engaged and build culture

One of the criticisms around remote work is that it’s really difficult to keep employees engaged. And that becomes even more complicated when you’re thinking about how to keep a global team engaged. But what if it actually isn’t that hard, it just requires a rethink of how you’re operating?

Running a remote team—especially a global one—is very different from keeping an office-based team engaged. Your team members each experience the working day very differently. What’s more, there aren’t the same opportunities for casual encounters that you get when someone goes to grab coffee. Instead, you have to create opportunities for those encounters.

It’s important to do so, too. Lost productivity cost the global economy $428 billion last year. The overall employee engagement level is just 21%.

For different types of working, engagement currently sits at:

  • 19% for employees who work on-site and can’t work remotely
  • 23% for employees who work on-site and can work remotely
  • 23% for hybrid employees
  • 31% for remote employees

If you’re forcing your employees to work solely from your offices, not only do you risk missing out on great talent, but you’re also sacrificing employee engagement and productivity.

So here are some tips for how to keep a global team engaged:

Introduce people

When I first joined a previous role, my manager organized introductory meetings with anyone I might need to work with. Low-stakes, no-pressure discussions. Just so that they knew I’d started, who I was, what I could do, and so we could come up with ways to work together.

At first, I wasn’t sure about this concept. There were a lot of people to meet.

But having those initial meetings meant that it became easier for me to talk to colleagues if I needed something. And in an age where many coworkers won’t meet in person for months if not years (or even ever!), making introductions early can be a game changer for how to keep a global team engaged.

Make meetings a thing but not A Thing

If you have an async culture, then suddenly start organizing meetings, employees may worry that they’re in trouble.

Instead, meetings should be a regular occurrence so that employees feel comfortable and don’t start panicking.

Having standing meetings also ensures that they can come in prepared, rather than like deer in headlights.

When employees don’t have in-person interactions to rely on for context, these sorts of touch points can help. Keeping everyone informed and on an even keel is key when looking at how to keep a global team engaged.

Have regular check-ins

If they wanted to get some steps in, they could do this over the phone and go for a walk at the same time. This is great for creativity and a nice screen break, too.

Managers need regular catchups scheduled with their employees. Ideally, this should be a recurring meeting.

These regular meetings keep everyone on schedule. They also mean employees can ask for help if they get stuck. It creates a two-way conversation in real time, which can feel more personal than a quick message.

This human-to-human connection can go a long way when thinking about how to keep a global team engaged.

Remember: technology is your friend

You’ve already got plenty of tools for organizing your (likely async) workflows. Why aren’t you using the same or similar technology to encourage connection?

For instance, you could:

  • Host a virtual quiz on Zoom
  • Post a poll on Teams
  • Get employees to share their LinkedIn profiles so that everyone is connected beyond the work ecosystem
  • Share Spotify playlists
  • Have a topic of the week on Slack or Workrowd

All of these are little things that don’t take much effort, but create a greater sense of connection and belonging between colleagues.

They may seem insignificant, but can actually make a big difference when it comes to how to keep a global team engaged.

(Virtual) watercooler chat

Many businesses have a virtual watercooler, but how many businesses post in there regularly?

This space is the perfect place for employees to showcase what they’re interested in and find people who also like the same music, movies, etc.

It can also introduce them to new interests, which is another way for employees to get to know one another. It’s an easy, and low pressure way to bridge geographic divides. And a great tool in your arsenal of how to keep a global team engaged.

Don’t forget breaks

It’s really easy, when working remotely, for employees to forget to take a structured break because they’re so busy. Their notifications keep going off, they want to do just one more thing, etc.

But without a structured break, they don’t get the same amount of time to recharge. This can lead to errors and increase employee stress.

So, encourage employees to go take a break, especially if it’s a nice day where they can take a lunchtime walk. 

If they work outdoors in a place where hot or cold temperatures impact their health and safety, this is even more important. The weather can dramatically reduce their energy levels and potentially make things dangerous for their colleagues.

So remember that building in breathers isn’t just important for workplace wellness. It’s also essential for how to keep a global team engaged.

Respect cultural differences

There’s a recent viral post from a council in the UK. The council posted wishing people a happy Eid before a happy Lent, and someone replied with a critical comment regarding the order of the posts.

In a very matter-of-fact way, the council’s social media manager replied stating that Eid started first. That’s why they posted it first.

By creating posts to celebrate different cultures, it shows that your business respects and understands the different holidays your employees and customers celebrate. It makes them feel included and seen in a very subtle way.

And calling out the people who criticize this shows your business is educated and not just paying lip service. This helps prevent future comments, and could just go viral on social media (so great for brand building).

Little things like this are easy to overlook, but can actually make a difference when considering how to keep a global team engaged.

Understand cultural context

The joke is that the UK and the US are two countries divided by the same language. As well as using different spellings and grammar rules, we also think differently.

For example, the US is a low-context culture. People say what they mean and they’re pretty upfront.

France, meanwhile, is a high-context culture, so there’s a lot of subtext reading required to understand what someone means. (Emily in Paris does not reflect this.)

The UK sits somewhere in the middle, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it becomes more low-context as we’re exposed to more US media and content because of the internet.

Being mindful of these things allows you to adapt your communication style based on whom you’re talking to. If in doubt, the simplest thing is to write in plain language for a low-context culture. That way, it’s less likely that people will misinterpret your meaning.

Cultural competence is an essential component on the list of how to keep a global team engaged.

Organize periodic meetups

Meetups don’t work for every business, but for some, meeting up once a year helps people develop the relationships they need to grow in their careers. It can also help with problem solving and innovation, and even lead to promotions.

Not to mention seriously helping your case when it comes to how to keep a global team engaged.

Set up employee groups

One of the best ways to support your global workforce, connect them with their colleagues, and help them grow in their careers, is with employee groups.

When your employee groups are organized with a tool that’s easy for employees to use, and run by people who want to do it, everyone is more likely to take part and be engaged. And that’s especially important when it comes to how to keep a global team engaged, as your team members won’t be seeing each other as frequently.

Workrowd can help you get more from your employee groups. From feedback surveys to data analysis, it’s got everything you need to re-engage your workforce.

Conclusion 

When thinking about how to keep a global team engaged, it isn’t as complicated as it seems. Really, it’s about understanding different cultures, using the right technology, and creating moments for employees to connect so that they don’t feel isolated from their coworkers.

If you’d like help connecting your employees with colleagues, why not use Workrowd to organize your employee events, programs, and groups? That way, everyone has easy access to every part of your employee experience that’s available to them, and you always know what it is and isn’t working. Get in touch today to find out more.

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI
9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome
8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute
Categories
Employee Engagement

How to turn the tide on job hugging and reengage your team

Confession: I hate the term “job hugging.” The term and its definition don’t match. Hugging implies something cozy and comforting. Job hugging is someone staying in their role longer than they want to out of a need for financial security. Not exactly a cozy or comforting image. And definitely not comforting or cozy for your business.

That being said, it’s kind of unavoidable in this climate. There are fewer jobs out there, which means more applicants for each job. Plus, it’s easier for someone to find a job when they’re already employed.

But in an ideal world, you want people to stay because they enjoy working for you, not because they need the paycheck and health insurance.

So how can you reengage employees who might be job hugging? Or better yet, prevent them from doing it in the first place?

Why “job hugging” isn’t the good thing it sounds like

Sure, you save money on hiring costs when employees stick around. But if someone is only staying because they’re worried about financial security, do you really think they’re going to be engaged?

Or are they more likely to do the bare minimum to stay under the radar and not get caught—or let go?

They’re going to do whatever makes them feel secure, which means no experimentation, no innovation, and no real feeling of psychological safety at work. They’ll be too afraid of losing their jobs and coming out with no healthcare, no retirement account, and no prospects.

Despite this, only 7% view job hugging as negative. 49% of people view it positively and 44% view it neutrally. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it. But is it ideal for your business? Those employees who stick around aren’t necessarily loyal, they might just feel backed into a corner.

The employee risks of job hugging

When employees stay put due to job hugging, they risk missing out on higher pay and career advancement. At the same time, they’re more likely to burn out.

28% of employees would leave for higher pay and better benefits, while 18% would go elsewhere for a better work/life balance. Another 14% would leave for remote work opportunities. There seem to be fewer remote opportunities around these days, too, meaning employees will stay at the companies that offer it.

How to re-engage your team and limit job hugging

So, what can you do to reengage employees who might be job hugging?

Offer flexible work

Like I said: there seem to be far fewer remote work opportunities advertised these days. This means employees who can’t afford the high cost of living in cities miss out on roles purely because they want the (sometimes) lower costs, slower pace of life, or lack of pollution that comes with living outside of a major metro.

Just because someone prefers a less urban setting, that doesn’t mean they’re not the perfect fit for a role. Knowledge isn’t exclusive to city living.

By being flexible around when employees work, and focusing on how well they work instead, you’ll get more from them and avoid job hugging. They’ll feel more trusted to do their jobs and therefore work harder because they want to repay that trust.

Provide training—and encourage them to grow

Many workers who aren’t job hugging leave for new challenges, but what if you could offer new opportunities? What if you trained your current employees to move teams, or get a promotion?

It’s a simple solution to reengage someone who has tons of internal knowledge you can’t afford to lose.

Offer the market rate, not the bare minimum

Employees shouldn’t have to change jobs to get better pay, yet that’s why most people leave.

By offering your best workers more, you’re going to reward their loyalty and keep them engaged for longer. All without risking them checking out and simply job hugging.

Support their health

From health insurance to mental health counseling, supporting employee wellness is an effective way to keep your people engaged. There are the obvious things, like healthcare, but also less obvious, like additional maternity leave or bereavement leave.

The more you can do to make an employee feel like you value their contributions, the more they’ll stick around because they want to, not because they feel like they have no choice and are job hugging.

Connect them with colleagues

We don’t talk about how important employee connection is as much as we did a few years ago. That doesn’t mean it isn’t still important, though.

If people feel isolated from their colleagues, or like their colleagues dislike or don’t appreciate them, why would they want to put any effort in at work? They’ll simply mail it in while job hugging until something better comes along.

It’s not even about remote vs in-office—it’s a case of using the right tools and techniques to support your team members.

For instance, employee groups can connect colleagues with shared interests or backgrounds across the globe. Done well, they can help employees to learn new skills, meet new people, and grow in their careers.

They’re often difficult to manage, though.

That’s where Workrowd comes in. Using Workrowd, you can manage all your employee initiatives in one place. That way, employees can easily find the right groups, programs, and events for them. They’ll be more inclined to participate, so then you’ll get more out of your employee experience investments and so will your team.

Get in touch today to book your free demo and find out more.

Conclusion  

Job hugging puts businesses at risk of disengagement. In the current climate, it may be inevitable. That doesn’t mean you can’t reengage employees who feel disconnected and stay for the sake of security, though.

Providing them with the right supports, from networking to growth, ensures your employees want to work for you, rather than feeling like they have to.

If you’re ready to step up your efforts to reduce job hugging in your organization, learn how Workrowd can help you keep engagement high and employees happy.

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI
9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome
8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute
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Wellness

8 employee engagement strategies to boost workplace wellness

Employee engagement and workplace wellness may not be the buzzwords they once were, but they still matter. Burnout is real, and it’s not going away. Failing to take steps to mitigate it could cost your business 15-20% of your payroll budget per year.

On top of that, burnt-out employees are 63% less likely to show up for work and twice as likely to look for a new job.

When businesses have workplace wellness programs, 89% of employees feel happy and engaged at work. So here are some less talked about—but still important and effective—employee engagement strategies that can boost your workplace wellness in 2026.

Offer bereavement leave

Employee engagement isn’t just about fun activities. Sometimes it’s about meeting employees where they’re at. If they’ve just lost someone they love, coming into work is going to be the last thing they want to do. However, they may worry about job security so feel that they don’t have a choice.

Having a clear bereavement leave policy—so that both managers and employees know what’s expected and what to do if an employee loses someone they love—means everyone is treated equally. Employees also get treated with compassion and respect during a difficult time.

Grieving doesn’t happen in a straight line, nor does it neatly finish within a couple of weeks. Especially if those couple of weeks also require an employee to focus on work when their mind is elsewhere.

Supporting employees during their toughest times can improve employee engagement and retention in the long-term because they feel valued. Seen. Treated like an actual human being. These shouldn’t be workplace perks, they should be basic human rights. But so often, they wind up as forgotten parts of workplace wellness.

Provide mental health support

We live in a complicated world, and that’s not going away. Mental health support can provide employees with the tools to handle at least some of these complex challenges.

With 91% of businesses wanting to invest more in their workforce mental health solutions, not offering this could put your employer brand at a disadvantage on top of the cost to your employees’ short- and long-term health.

It’s important not to forget that workplace wellness encompasses both physical and mental (and emotional!) health.

Make sure employees use their PTO

This shouldn’t need to be said, but it’s all too easy for employees to forget to take time off because they’re simply too busy. That’s a sign that you’re overloading your workers and they feel like they’ll fall behind if they go and get a sandwich.

It’s not just about breaks, though.

Many employees don’t use their PTO because they want a buffer in case something goes wrong. In fact, just 51% of employees use all their PTO in any given year. That’s a lot of time to recharge and disconnect going unused.

Instead of requiring employees to use PTO for illness or emergencies, why not have dedicated policies for these things? An employee shouldn’t have to sacrifice rest time because they came down with a bug or their child is sick.

And while we’re at it, if you’ve got an “unlimited PTO” policy, let’s be serious: the subtext is no time off. Let’s just give employees some actual, concrete time to switch off, yeah?

While employees taking time off may sound bad for business, that’s short-term thinking. Prioritizing rest and workplace wellness will ensure your team is ready to give their best and stay with your organization for the long-term.

Give them the right equipment 

A little accommodation goes a long way. At a previous role, I had a really bad back. They got me a coccyx cushion to take the pressure off, and it sort of helped. But my back still spasmed from time to time, making walking a challenge.

At my next role, I had a more ergonomic chair. My back problems went away. Nothing else had changed. 

Except that now, I could concentrate more at work because I wasn’t in as much pain. I got more done, I was happier, and I was more engaged at work because I felt supported by my employer.

Sure, the cushion was cheaper. But it wasn’t a fix. It was just the only thing they were willing to offer.

Sometimes investing in the more expensive solution is what will get you the biggest rewards when it comes to workplace wellness (and therefore make you more money in the long-run).

Cut back on the meetings

Some companies see meetings as the solution to everything. But they can be a huge time sink and they don’t always mean you get things done. They’re far more open to tangents and people talking over each other than asynchronous communication. The latter forces people to clarify their thoughts and can mean quieter employees are more likely to get heard.

There’s a fine line, though. It’s good to have time to speak to your colleagues, especially as some people come across very differently in writing compared to when they speak. Meetings can help with employee connections and communication, too.

But when they start to take up an employee’s entire workweek, you have to wonder if they’re really as effective as they seem. And you have to consider their impact on employee wellbeing and workplace wellness.

Walk in nature

Nature is hugely beneficial for our wellbeing (and for workplace wellness!). It can help us feel calmer, for example. This can be useful for difficult conversations, or just to relax after a challenging meeting.

Walking meetings in nature are also useful for idea generation. And, walking side-by-side can make difficult conversations easier as they feel less confrontational.

One-on-ones are the perfect opportunity for a walking meeting, or any other that involves a small team or requires some creative thinking.

Give back with volunteer days

Recent research has found that having a purpose in life can improve our cognitive health.

However, many people can’t do this because they’re living paycheck to paycheck.

Giving employees the opportunity to volunteer for a local nonprofit, or a cause that’s important to them—while still getting paid for it—provides them with a sense of fulfillment without sacrificing security.

It’s also great for workplace wellness and for your employer brand, showing you care about more than just profits.

Offer personal project time

Personal projects can give employees a chance to try new things, get to know new tools, or challenge traditional ways of doing things.

Whether they have an afternoon a week to explore, or a week every quarter, it’s an opportunity for employees to innovate.

You never know—they could come up with something that could benefit your business. In addition to the benefits to employee happiness and workplace wellness.

Conclusion 

Boosting workplace wellness isn’t just about the fun stuff like days out. It’s also about supporting employees through difficult times and offering them opportunities to learn, grow, and explore other interests.

If you’d like to make it easier for your employees to take part in employee engagement activities and boost workplace wellness, why not try Workrowd? You can keep all your employee initiatives in one place, making them faster to find and join in on. Get in touch today to book your free demo.

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Wellness

Why employee wellness matters more than ever in 2026

Back when I first started writing about HR in the late 2010s, topics like employee wellness, engagement, and experience were everywhere.

Fast-forward to now, and it feel like there’s radio silence.

There are still those of us who care about it, of course. But it’s no longer the central focus that it once was. However, taking care of your employees still matters.

So why are fewer businesses than ever talking about it?

So-called wellness benefits are the first employee initiatives that organizations cut when budgets shrink.

Businesses want to model Silicon Valley tech culture, so they follow the “all work and no play” approach. They assume it’s fine to pay someone too little to live on while expecting their lives to revolve around work.

Those things are not compatible.

If you’re not paying employees enough, and not treating them like they’re valued…why would they stay? Why would they be loyal to your business?

Prioritizing employee wellness will ensure your team members not only want to stick around, but that they can be at their best while working for you.

More than just lip service

It’s not about tokenism or lip service. Employee wellness shows the people who work for you that you value and appreciate their effort.

It’s a way to ensure that they keep working for you long-term. And you keep getting high performance from them.

Failing to support employees means their performance will suffer as their stress levels increase. Their home lives will also take a hit because they’re so stressed they don’t have enough energy to spend on loved ones. Ultimately, they’ll end up quitting because they no longer enjoy working for you.

Your company culture, meanwhile, will deteriorate because those who’d previously motivated their colleagues will leave. This creates a hole others are unlikely to fill. Especially if your culture is struggling and no one wants to be there.

The longer this goes on for, the worse your culture will become.

You’ll have a hard time retaining your existing employees, the number of new hires who leave during probation will go up, and eventually word will get out that your company culture isn’t great. So the quality of your job applicants will go down, and you’ll get fewer of them to fill your vacancies.

Deprioritizing employee wellness creates a cycle of worsening culture and conditions that can be hard to escape.

Why employee wellness still matters

The world is literally on fire. Ask any Australian.

There’s so much content out there about resetting our dysregulated nervous systems because it feels almost impossible to be calm when the climate emergency is here—and virtually no one is doing anything about it.

Politics is going in a scary direction (or is already there) in many places all over the world, and it’s leaving a lot of us feeling helpless.

The hard-fought rights of marginalized groups are being stripped after less than a century of them having any rights at all.

More money is being concentrated at the top, leaving Millennials and Gen Z-ers not wanting children because it’s impossible for so many to own a house, let alone have enough to raise a child. So then governments complain there aren’t enough children, but of course there aren’t—no one can afford to raise them!

AI is coming for jobs, and so far it hasn’t created as many as it’s replaced. It seems unlikely to as well, when so many businesses are using it to cut costs.

Then there’s the fact businesses are posting ghost jobs to make it look like they’re growing when they’re not.

Is it surprising that workers feel stressed? Or that they need employee wellness initiatives more than ever?

The ripple effect

All these things have an impact on employees. They affect their ability to focus; to be present at work; to communicate with their colleagues.

And, you might argue, it isn’t a business’s job to “fix” employee mental health. But isn’t it a business’s job to look after its workforce?

The business wouldn’t exist without employees. Employees choose to show up every day, whatever their reason for doing so may be.

So by supporting employees, businesses build loyalty that can see them through the tough times. It helps them build a better culture, and even innovate to build better products.

I read a post on LinkedIn recently about a woman who lost a parent right before starting a new role. Her new manager gave her six weeks bereavement leave, fully paid.

How many organizations do you know that would do that?

The humanity with which that business treated that woman will stay with her for the rest of her life. It will build loyalty to her employer that no money could buy. Those are the kinds of employee wellness initiatives that matter.

But they’re also not the kinds of things that people regularly talk about. They’re part of the painful side of humanity that we want to hide from because it’s uncomfortable.

But the more we run from it, the more the painful side wins and the harder it is to feel hopeful for the future.

It’s only when we face what’s actually happening, and approach it with compassion and the desire to help other people, that we actually make progress.

Conclusion 

Employee wellness isn’t something that went in the trash like a box of Covid-era face masks no one wants to wear anymore.

Forcing someone to work until they’re exhausted is not a way to treat people who work hard for you. It’s not a way to treat people who are struggling to make ends meet through no fault of their own.

Instead, employee wellness should be something that’s embedded into a company’s culture.

It should involve treating employees like human beings, remembering that they’re stressed because of the world we’re in, and the more businesses can do to support their teams, the more loyalty, innovation, and ultimately, profit, they’ll generate.

Create a culture of community

If you’d like to create a culture where your employees feel engaged and able to support each other, try Workrowd. You can use it to manage your employee initiatives, including events, programs, and groups, and track the impact they’re having. It’s a one-stop shop to connect your people with their colleagues and support employee wellness.

Stay tuned for part two where I explore how you can support employee wellness in 2026. It goes so much deeper than you think.

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9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome
8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute
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Learning & Development

Make peer-to-peer learning in the workplace your secret weapon

Say goodbye to impersonal online courses. Peer-to-peer learning in the workplace could be the secret to your business’s growth.

Online courses aren’t even in the top 10 ways employees report wanting to learn. This could be because we all experienced the course and workshop flood during the early 2020s. Or, it could be that there are so many out there that everyone has a different favorite.

Either way, it shows that if businesses really want their employees to learn and grow, they’ve got to do things differently. And more internally. Which is exactly where peer-to-peer learning in the workplace shines.

Why you should be doing peer-to-peer learning in the workplace

Back in 2020, we were all superglued to our computers with what felt like an endless wave of online learning—workshops, coaches, you name it.

Now, I see far fewer people selling online courses and it’s likely because we’re all bored of them. In-person learning, and learning from people we know and like, is far more engaging than some random stranger on the internet talking at us.

Especially when it’s a topic we care about and that can help us grow in our careers.

When companies have a learning-based culture, employees are 147% more likely to connect with their peers. 94% said they’d be more likely to remain with a company with active learning and development programs, too.

L&D is more important than ever. 79% of CEOs worry that there’s an increasing skill gap between office-based and remote employees that’s threatening organizational growth. Peer-to-peer learning in the workplace can be a key tool in bridging the divide.

Your culture plays a big role in peer-to-peer learning success

I’d argue that the real issue is that companies don’t know if they’re in-office, remote, or hybrid. Those that don’t know where they want their employees to be based, or have different rules for each team, make it harder for their employees to support each other, let alone learn from each other.

When employees are taught there’s no such thing as a stupid question, it improves communication within, and between, teams.

Sometimes we need to learn something new to stay engaged in our role. This is particularly true if we’ve been doing it for a long time or recent months have been stressful. 

Employees often leave because they feel frustrated and unsupported. Learning something new can help with their ability to cope with stress as well as how valued they feel at your organization.

If they’ve put all that work in only to get their usual pay check at the end and no other form of gratitude, they’re going to feel pretty fed up. Investing in their future through peer-to-peer learning in the workplace is a way to reward them and show that you notice, and value, their efforts.

How to create a culture of peer-to-peer learning in the workplace

Let’s look at what your organization can do to encourage peer-to-peer learning in the workplace:

Manager feedback

When it comes to peer-to-peer learning in the workplace, employees want to learn from their managers more than anyone else. But managers are busy. They often struggle with their own workloads, let alone assisting employees with theirs, too. 

Support from managers helps employees know they’re on the right track. It shows them what the next steps are.

And if your managers are too busy to help their team members grow as people and employees, it might be time to look at hiring more staff to give them the space to do so.

If managers are in a constant state of stress, that will have a ripple effect on their employees, too. It could mean the feedback they give them skews harsh over helpful, damaging employee morale and initiative rather than supporting it.

Make goals clear

If someone doesn’t know what they’re aiming for, or how to measure results, it can make it difficult to learn and know what direction to go in.

Clear goals, while they can be tough to put into place, help both managers and employees measure their success. It helps you know if initiatives to drive peer-to-peer learning in the workplace are working, spot gaps more easily, and track their progress.

Colleague collaboration

At least 55% of employees go to their colleagues first when they want to learn something new about business. So why not encourage that by creating more opportunities for peer-to-peer learning in the workplace?

Just 10% of learning is formally structured. 70% of learning takes place when colleagues are working and 20% comes from collaboration with colleagues. This shows just how important those relationships are. And how crucial peer-to-peer learning in the workplace can be for your business.

Everyone comes in with different levels of experience and different backgrounds. These things give them different perspectives that can teach their colleagues something new.

For example, a petite female wheelchair user will have a different experience with cars compared to an able-bodied, 6ft man. Combining their perspectives and experiences can help a car business design a vehicle that has a broader appeal and can therefore make more money than one that only works for a man over 6ft.

Share info in ERGs

Your employee resource groups connect your employees based on shared backgrounds or experiences. This foundation can make it easier for people to open up. In turn, fellow members may be more open to learning from them. Especially if they’ve been at your company longer or have more experience in a particular field.

Your ERGs can also be great spaces to pilot new peer-to-peer learning in the workplace initiatives.

Mentorship schemes

Mentoring can help your newer employees understand how your business works and navigate the workforce.

Reverse mentoring, meanwhile, can support your older, more experienced colleagues to adapt to new technologies and ways of communicating.

Mentoring in any form is an important and easy way to foster peer-to-peer learning in the workplace.

Lightning talks

Lightning talks are five-minute presentations about a topic that interests the speaker. Your lightning talk event could have a theme, such as new technologies, or be open to anything anyone wants to share.

You might even discover some of your employees have hidden public speaking talents! These sessions can be fun ways to build culture while also enabling peer-to-peer learning in the workplace.

Employee-led workshops

Since employees prefer to learn from colleagues, why not get employees to lead workshops? Some of the lightning talk topics could lead to longer workshops that benefit some or all of your workforce. 

Conclusion 

Peer-to-peer learning in the workplace can improve employee morale, engagement, and initiative. It teaches your team members new things in a low-effort, high-results way.

If you want to make the most of peer-to-peer learning in the workplace, Workrowd’s tools can help. From ensuring everyone has easy access to your initiatives, to following up to collect feedback and even analyzing the data for you, everything you need is in one place.

Get in touch today to discover how Workrowd can supercharge your employee initiatives and company culture.

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Learning & Development

8 goal setting activities to help your team do more in 2026

January might be the time when everyone discusses goal setting, but you can set goals at any time of the year. Some people even argue January is the time for rest and the best time for goal setting activities is in the spring (when those of us in the Northern Hemisphere actually see the sun. In theory).

It doesn’t really matter, though. Goals can be set at any time of the year. They’re a great motivator whatever level someone is within your organization.

For instance, employees who set goals are 3.6 times more likely to be committed to their employer. What’s more, they’re 14.2 times more likely to feel inspired at work when they set their own goals.

As if that wasn’t enough, they’re also 6.7 times more likely to feel proud of their organization and 6.5 times more likely to recommend it as a great place to work.

So let’s explore how you can help your team do more with effective goal setting activities in 2026:

Be specific

I used to really hate SMART goals. But it turns out this goal setting formula has its benefits—over 80% of people perform better when goals are specific and challenging compared to people with vague or no goals.

Over a third of leaders, meanwhile, think the main cause of failure is because goals aren’t clear enough.

Following a formula such as SMART for your goal setting activities ensures goals feel more concrete. It clearly answers the question as to whether or not an employee has achieved the goal.

For instance “sell more” is a vague goal. How much? By when? Using what methods?

“Upsell five customers by the end of Q1” is far more specific.

Goals can also help employees with their learning objectives: those with clear goals are 8.1 times more likely to find new ways to improve at work.

Use OKRs

OKRs—objectives and key results—is a form of goal setting activities where you specify what the goal (objective) is, and how you’ll know if you’ve attained it (key results).

They have a big impact, too: more than 64% of employees think their company is successful after implementing OKRs. That’s compared to just 39% who don’t.

Give it a timeframe

Whatever type of goals you set, you need to be clear about what the timeframe is.

Many people work better toward a deadline because it makes it feel more urgent, so then they want to work on it and have fewer excuses to procrastinate.

Make sure when you agree on a date as part of your goal setting activities, it’s a date that’s doable. But perhaps a little outside of employees’ comfort zone to help drive them.

Make it a little uncomfortable

Our greatest growth comes from being outside of our comfort zones. I’m not talking about jumping out of an airplane if you’re afraid of heights, but a salesperson could aim to earn slightly more than they think they’re capable of, for example. This pushes them to do more, to think differently, and to aim higher.

When employees set difficult goals, they report 34% higher job satisfaction compared to those who have less challenging objectives.

However, only 33% of entry-level or operational-level employees set difficult goals, compared to 54% of top-level executives. I’d argue that entry-level employees could benefit more from these goals, though, as they have more to learn.

But for them to feel comfortable aiming high, they need the support of their manager and colleagues. This includes before, during, and after goal setting activities.

Use feedback to create better goals

Combining feedback and goal setting activitiess leads to a performance increase of 30% compared to using one or the other. This makes sense, because feedback can point employees in the direction of where they need to grow their skills and what their next goal should be.

Get your managers involved

While managers and supervisors should set their own goals, they should also help their employees achieve theirs. They can offer advice and support when goals seem challenging, and provide coping mechanisms so that the weight of what they’re trying to achieve doesn’t get them down.

When employees regularly meet with supervisors around goal setting activities, it boosts morale by five times. It also increases employee motivation when their goals are adjusted for current market conditions and priorities.

It makes sense: employees know that what they’re working on makes a difference to the business and wider industry as opposed to feeling like they’re doing their role for the sake of it.

Use your ERGs

Employee groups help employees stay focused on their goals or even work out which ones to set through group-sponsored goal setting activities. Colleagues can share resources, offer moral support, and even mentor employees towards achieving their goals.

Want to get more from your ERGs? Workrowd can help make your groups easier to find, navigate, and benefit from.

Tell everyone

A little bit of repetition goes a long way. Over half of 11,000 employees couldn’t name their organization’s top three goals. Which either means the company doesn’t have them, or it’s not reiterating them enough.

So, even if you feel like you’re repeating yourself for the 10,000th time, remember that there will be someone who’s new, been sick, or otherwise out of the office so won’t have seen what your new goals are. It happens.

Reminders are always useful, too, as they can help keep employees focused. It gives them a lens through which to view what they’re doing, so then they can prioritize based on how much a task will contribute to business goals.

Conclusion 

How you get there doesn’t really matter. What matters is the results. Be sure you’re setting specific goals that are a little outside of employees’ comfort zones. You never know what they might achieve. Heck, they might even surprise themselves.

Want to support your employees with more effective goal setting activities that help them achieve and exceed their objectives? Try Workrowd for managing your employee initiatives. Get in touch to book your free demo.

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI
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8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute
Categories
Wellness

Tips to boost health and safety in the workplace, plus why it’s key

In 2023, there were 5,283 fatal workplace safety incidents. There were 2.6 million nonfatal workplace safety incidents. Those are some huge—and preventable—numbers. Which goes to show that businesses need to do more to improve health and safety in the workplace.

Why does health and safety in the workplace matter?

We spend more time working than we do with our loved ones, especially when you add in overtime. Don’t employees deserve to feel safe when they’re at work?

Well, it makes you wonder when you see that only 63% of employees feel that their employer thinks physical safety at work is extremely important. 75% of employees believe that their employer thinks the company reputation is more important than safety. And, 68% think their employer values the bottom line more.

Employees don’t feel things are changing, either. 59% of employees don’t think their employer has increased physical safety efforts in the last year. At best, they’ve stagnated.

If employees feel worried about their safety, there’s no way they’ll be able to be at their best. Anxiety is an energy suck. Even if an employee only worries subconsciously, that’s still draining. Which can then lead to more accidents as their anxiety distracts them from the job. A little bit of training around health and safety in the workplace can go a long way towards reassuring them that they, and their job, are safe.

Tips to improve health and safety in the workplace

Here are some ways to improve employee health and safety in the workplace.

Use effective equipment

The quality of your safety equipment is a small but important step toward improving health and safety in the workplace.

Consider the masks worn during Covid. They had to meet certain standards to be considered medical-grade and protect staff from getting sick.

But the UK government lost £1.4 billion (about $1.8 billion) on unusable personal protective equipment (PPE) during Covid. All because they didn’t check that what they were buying was compliant. Over half of the surgical gowns purchased weren’t checked until after they’d expired, either. So most of that tax payer money was lost.

You don’t want to fall into the same trap.

Make sure any safety equipment you purchase for your employees will actually protect them from what it should. And check this before any warrantees or expiration dates pass so that if they’re unsuitable, you can get a refund.

Using the best equipment will also mean that you’re protected from potential lawsuits because someone got sick or injured due to improper equipment.

Keep policies up to date

Any health and safety in the workplace policies should be regularly updated to ensure they’re legally compliant. In addition, be sure that any new information has been added, and the right contact details are included. It can help to have a review date for policies, such as every three years.

Hold regular training sessions

Want to reduce workers’ compensation claims? Health and safety in the workplace training can do just that by up to 42%. That’s a huge reduction in costs for any business at risk, or that puts its employees at risk.

While people may roll their eyes at health and safety in the workplace training, or regular refreshers, they’re important. It’s easy to forget the little things.

For instance, experienced drivers often fall into bad habits like not checking their mirrors enough, or taking one hand off the steering wheel. (Don’t tell me you don’t know someone who does this. We all do.)

Reminding your employees of basic safety procedures keeps them, their teammates, and your business, safe.

Training doesn’t have to be a boring explainer video, either. In fact, if you want employees to remember a training session’s content, it shouldn’t be.

Interactive training such as an in-person workshop, or even a quiz or a game, helps everyone remember what they’ve learned. That way, you’re not just talking at them; they’re actively participating in the learning process.

It’s a bit like how we don’t remember as much of what AI tells us compared to when we do the research ourselves. The more work we put into doing something, the more it sticks.

Ensure employees feel safe to report incidents

If something does go wrong, the impacted employees (especially those who reported it) need to feel safe to talk about it. They shouldn’t fear consequences for reporting something, expressing concern for their colleagues, or being involved in an incident.

Managers and HR should always be accessible, too. This is true broadly, but especially when it comes to health and safety in the workplace. Otherwise, issues can linger and get worse, meaning preventable accidents become inevitabilities.

Have a review process if something does go wrong 

You need a clear review process to prevent the same incident from happening again.

Think of it like black boxes in airplanes. Those almost indestructible devices collect so much data on what’s going on that the aviation industry can make things safer for future flights once the investigation is complete.

While most companies can’t have a literal black box, you can have an airtight investigation into any health and safety in the workplace incidents. That means your business comes out with a safety-first reputation that will help you attract better talent, save money on compensation claims (the average is $40,000), and improve your business brand.

Have a place to ask questions

Employees need a safe place where they can ask health and safety in the workplace questions. This prevents issues from arising in the future and means they can learn from their colleagues’ experiences. It’s a great way to connect employees across your organization and share wisdom.

It’s much better for employees to feel comfortable asking what may be perceived as “stupid” questions than for something to go wrong and cost them, their colleagues, and/or your business because they were embarrassed to ask.

You could create a knowledge base and/or employee group where they can ask questions, for example.

Employee groups are excellent places to set up and organize mentoring programs, giving your more experienced colleagues a place to support newer recruits.

Or, you could connect employees with similar backgrounds that might make work more challenging, like new parents.

Need help managing your employee initiatives like groups or mentoring programs? Workrowd can help. Our one-stop shop keeps all your employee initiatives in one place. That way, it’s easy for team members to find and make the most of everything you offer.

Conclusion 

Health and safety in the workplace doesn’t have to be a minefield. With considered, regularly updated policies and training procedures that everyone follows, work can become a safer, more welcoming, and more productive environment for every employee.

Want to make it easier for team members to learn about your employee initiatives, safety-focused and otherwise? Check out Workrowd. One place, everything an employee needs. Get in touch today to book your free demo.

7 ways to increase employee productivity that aren’t just AI
9 ways to welcome new employees so they actually feel welcome
8 tips to build an office culture that’s worth the commute