15 Jun 2021

How to retain employees post-Covid

The past year has radically altered people’s relationships with their jobs. Many who work from home have been putting in longer hours, spending large parts of their day on back-to-back video calls and not taking adequate breaks. This lack of variety coupled with a prolonged sense of disconnect from colleagues has resulted in higher levels of burnout and overall feelings of job dissatisfaction.

As a growing number of people become increasingly unhappy with their current work situation, more and more are being drawn to companies that actively fight burnout and champion employee wellbeing. A recent study by Slack reported that a third of UK workers are now looking for a more mindful work culture.

Given that our Employee Wellbeing Survey 3.0 found 42% of employees are more stressed at work than they were before the onset of the pandemic, this shift in priorities when choosing a job makes a lot of sense. There’s nothing like a really challenging time at work to make employees ask what their workplace is really doing to show they care about them.

So what can be done to support and engage employees as we emerge from the pandemic and encourage them to remain loyal and productive? Read on to see how you can inspire and motivate your employees by providing life-enhancing benefits they will really value.

Making wellbeing a priority

With workplace stress and uncertainty culminating over the last year, it is now more important than ever that businesses are proactive about the mental health and wellness of their people. At the end of the day, an employee who is properly cared for and supported will be inspired to do their best work.

This can be achieved by encouraging teams to set clear boundaries, enforcing regular breaks and promoting flexible working. It is important that employees frequently check in with each other, whether that be over a coffee or a walk and talk, as well as themselves.

Subscriptions to digital mindfulness apps are a great way to facilitate this. These can be utilised to fit in with your team’s schedules and space allowances to ensure they are fully equipped to prioritise their mental wellbeing. These apps help employees learn how to practice meditation and become mindful anywhere, anytime, and some apps even reward them for this behaviour.

Caring about financial health

One of the greatest concerns among workers around the pandemic is finance-related. When unprecedented events cause ongoing uncertainty, employees need to feel reassurance and security. Financial wellbeing can have a huge impact on mental health, that's why helping your employees build financial resilience is vital.

Financial health shouldn’t be seen as a work perk, but an essential tool: if people can manage their finances, they will feel a lot better for it. And now, employees are expecting support in this area more than ever, with 69% of respondents to our Employee Health and Wellbeing survey believing that their employers have a duty to help them with their financial wellbeing.

Offering employee life insurance products as an employee benefit is a brilliant way of sending a clear message that you truly care about your people's finances, and will be there to look after their loved ones should the worst happen. A recent YouGov survey, created in partnership with us, found that more than 20% of respondents find life insurance to be a more important benefit now than they did before the pandemic.

Additionally, with the rapid development of digital options, it’s never been easier to provide employees with a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that can support them with money worries.

Encouraging community

Lockdown and its resulting limitations on social interaction have placed greater emphasis on the ways and extent to which people use smart devices on a daily basis, with many increasingly relying on social media platforms to maintain a sense of human connection.

Incorporating gamification and group interaction into rewards and benefits, not only encourages employees to engage with them more, but also facilitates team bonding. There are gamified apps available that bridge the gap between being fun to use and helping people achieve their goals – allowing you to build a community around personal wellbeing in your workplace.

These type of apps engage and incentivise employees to participate in daily wellness activities by completing various quests and challenges, and progressing through different levels and worlds, for which they earn virtual currency that can then be exchanged for an extensive range of rewards.

They also offer virtual team leader boards, which are a great way to stimulate healthy competition and inspire people to be more active. Everybody can track their scores, monitor progress, see what others are doing, and enjoy the fun. We know it works since an impressive 73% of our members who download our app, voluntarily join the health leader board.

The more you do to demonstrate that you care about your people, the more they will reward your business with their loyalty and dedication.

This article is provided by YuLife.