Recently, I’ve had to discuss employees’ concern over the use of EAP, as they strongly believe it might backfire to the point of losing their jobs if they continue to have such sessions. Isn’t it ironic that what ought to help people live their best lives and work well could be detrimental to their survival? So, how do you manage this? If the goal is to improve productivity, employee engagement and increase job satisfaction, well, other dimensions may have to be explored to achieve these. These dimensions include organisational, job and work factors that diminish employee wellbeing, such as role stressors, harassment, discrimination, poor leadership, social disconnect, poor relationships with bosses, the physical work environment, etc. After all, a healthy working environment is one in which there is not only an absence of harmful conditions but an abundance of health-promoting ones, such as work-life integration, diversity, inclusion and value alignment, connection to collaboration, empowering learning, trust and respect. It is important for both employer and employee to know and have a mutual understanding that happiness at work isn’t a one-way street. It’s achievable through collaboration and not just the employer trying to find ways to make the employees happy. Moreover, being present at work isn’t enough to create a happy workplace, and neither would throwing fancy opportunities and perks around at the workplace do the trick either. A mutual understanding of roles and managing expectations ought to stem from the value entrenchment and goal alignment. A discussion around this may be uncomfortable and easily ignored, but this may be at the detriment of the health of the organisation. It is pertinent to always note that businesses are for profits. If an organisation keeps giving to employees that frown at work, never willing to meet deadlines or complain unreasonably about deliverables and deadlines, chances are they are there just to pass time without understanding the nature of the business or appreciating the importance of meeting its goals. Hence, value/goal alignment would be non-existent, with costly implications or unhealthy engagements between both parties.
Although it’s often said that “people who are happier at work are more committed to their organisation, rise to positions of leadership more rapidly, are more productive and creative, and suffer fewer health problems.” I beg to differ because if the people in the workforce are more fixated on their own happiness and convenience at the expense of the growth of the business, there is a mismatch. As a workplace wellness advocate, I observed that so much is expected of organisations in comparison to employees in keeping a workplace healthy. Forgetting that successful organisations are driven by passionate people who are determined to see it prosper and flourish by aligning their values and goals with the organisation’s. Interestingly, in business strategy, not every acquisition or merger is a business growth strategy; some may as well be to eliminate competition. Likewise, non-aligned employees may just be in the organisation to bring it down, deliberately or otherwise. This therefore raises a question: how do you ensure you have not engaged a rival, spy, or an enemy of your organisation? A few of these strategies can be quite useful in addressing that concern:
Clear communication of expectations: Drawing inference from one of the factors of psychological health and safety of a workplace. Clear communication and established transparent job descriptions, roles, and responsibilities are of utmost importance to avoid confusion or misaligned expectations.
Values-based hiring: Incorporating values and cultural fit into the hiring process cannot be more crucial now than ever. This will not only prevent internal rancour but also promote service excellence. It ensures employees do not only know but imbibe the vision, mission and goals of the organisations through alignment.
Background checks: Conducting thorough and comprehensive background checks to verify candidates’ credentials, work history, character and potential red flags will save an organisation headaches, embarrassment, undue exposure and unpleasant surprises. At best, make sure you know the type of person the employee is even if you decide for them to stick around.
Behavioural interviews: Use behavioural interviews to assess candidates’ past experiences, attitudes, and behaviours, providing insight into their potential fit.
Reference checks: Verifying professional references will help the employer gain a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s work ethic, strengths, and weaknesses, which will not only help know the candidate better but also help with role placement.
Olayinka Opaleye is a personal wellbeing specialist and corporate wellness strategist. You can also reach her at +2348100371304 or by visiting www.linkedin.com/in/olayinkaopaleye.
