NewsBusiness

Creating the right working environment will pay off, finds Cherry Martin

While we live in times far removed from the cringe-worthy antics in offices and boardrooms of yesteryear, workplace culture is much more than a few millennials demanding better conditions and benefits at work. Staff have been campaigning for these rights for years and its not just about having a football table gathering dust.

The good news is that staff nowadays are more confident in demanding help from their bosses and within our contenders for the awards this year, we have a mix of new founders of companies being passionate about culture in the workplace, as well as established companies that have examined and refined theirs.

Any companys number one asset is its team, and here we highlight some of the best. If culture is seriously lacking where you work, maybe leave this page open on the relevant persons desk

Health is wealth

Healthy Performance measures feedback data daily to measure overall wellness and training needs.

As an organisation with performance in their bloodstream, they invest heavily in technology, the infrastructure of which crucially reduces pressure on their growing team. These bespoke systems include an operational management system, CRM, health screening software, plus online booking system, lifestyle assessment and mental health support tool.

One initiative to be applauded is their attitude towards exercise; allowing their team to take exercise during working hours, plus allowing them access to all of the wellbeing resources that they offer to clients.

A willingness to take increased ownership and responsibility for fulfilment

Finding, keeping and growing teams within fledgling businesses scaling at a rapid rate is an artform in itself, which is why SME of the Year contender Jigsaw Solutions brought HR consultant Anna Farrow in to support them in their period of growth. Anna implemented the Happiness at Work programme, which works by each employee following a series of five minute exercises in happiness and self exploration a day, and charting them in a happiness journal.

The success of her influence led Jigsaw to employ her on a full-time basis. Anna said: By supporting personal growth through increased self-awareness, we can create a better version of ourselves each and every day, which of course makes for improved engagement, fulfilment and ultimately performance.

There were no signs that the team were unhappy, but ethically it was and remains the right thing to do to challenge their current state, and ensure their happiness as a certainty.

Simply announcing Happiness At Work sent a very powerful message to our team, making it clear their happiness, fulfilment and wellbeing mattered. The six-week initial programme allowed us to bring together members of the team who wouldnt usually work together, building and nurturing supportive relationships, paving the way for healthy challenges to facilitate growth. We wanted to drive a feedback culture.

We gathered as a whole team every week to share learnings and discuss ideas to take forward. What I felt was the growth of the team and a willingness to take increased ownership and responsibility for happiness and fulfilment.

Our Perkbox insights tool, to measure engagement and workplace satisfaction, has seen our team engagement scores rise consistently.

EDAM Group, Britains largest privately owned credit-hire and post-accident services provider, interpreted their core values of innovation, respect, integrity, passion and fun as one team in a Minding EDAM wellbeing initiative.

Launched in May to encourage better mental health among their staff, they set aside time for colleagues to engage in mood-lifting events that included pilates, cycling, and a health and wellbeing check to encourage an open and honest culture. We look forward to hearing how this approach works.

Geogaming company CluedUp Games clearly see no constraints in geography with their innovative outdoor gaming pursuits, and theyve tackled team positivity and wellbeing in exactly the same way. Casting aside all traditional work place constraints, they strongly encourage flexible working practices giving employees the opportunity to set their own working hours and their locations on a day-to-day basis. No fixed hours, no set places of work, unlimited holiday allowance and the freedom to build a work-life around family commitments.

Yes, Ill let you pause reading this supplement to Google them and see if theyre hiring your skillset.

Useful Tip

If your budget so far this year has been eaten up, know that its free to do part of the Engaging Works Happiness at Work survey. You dont get all of the scientific data broken down, but you can see score movements for members of staff before and after doing the sessions.

See the original post:
Bringing culture into the workplace - inews