Tag: workplace

1. Are your employees struggling with mental health and work?

   February 12, 2020 12:04 pm

   Mental health in the workplace has been given a lot of airtime in recent years, and rightly so. Each year more than 300,000 people lose their jobs due to mental health issues when the right intervention at the right time could have helped them thrive. Mental health and work is something that employers need to take extremely seriously for the wellbeing of their staff and business.

   For years the stigma around mental health was a barrier to it being addressed in the workplace. But this is changing. Recent research has found that 88% of employers and 87% of employees agree that it is OK not to feel OK at work.

   However, people still prefer to discuss mental health issues with people outside of work than to bring it up with their employer. This raises the question about why and how you can help employees struggling with their mental health.

   A government report into mental health has given business owners plenty of guidance on how to address this, making wellbeing at work even less of a taboo topic.

   Here’s some of the actions employers can take from this report in order to make their workplace more supportive and understanding:

   Openness

   Employees with mental health issues will be much happier about discussing them if there is already a culture of openness within your organisation. Hearing senior managers discussing mental health in a positive way and pointing people to the support available will make them feel more comfortable about talking about their own feelings.

   Work-life balance

   Offering a range of flexible working options and even making it known that it’s OK to take time off when your mental health requires it, will help to create a positive working environment for your staff.

   Line manager training

   Make sure your senior staff meet regularly with their teams, offering one-to-ones and annual appraisals as well as an open door policy for those who need to speak ad hoc. They should also be able to identify when someone is showing signs of stress and know how your company can help.

   Employee Assistance Programme

   As an employer, you should be able to offer in-house or external support to your employees in the form of counselling and advice on a wide range of work and personal issues. These could be problems at home, a relationship on the rocks the worry of retirement or debt – all common life occurrences that can adversely effect mental health. 

   Being aware of your employees’ mental health issues will help your staff remain in work and well, increase their productivity and reduce presenteeism. It’s also an important recruitment and retention tool for top performing staff and will make you a more desirable employer.

   Ocean Edge offers recruitment consultancy services to the affordable housing sector. We have teams in London and Southampton who are ready to help you recruit to your organisation. Contact us at Ocean Edge by calling 023 8000 1153 or emailing info@oceanedge.biz

2. How to win top talent with a workplace they can’t resist

   January 28, 2020 2:10 pm

   When the best job candidates are on the look out for new opportunities there’s a wide variety of things for them to consider before applying to their preferred employers. The company’s ethos, location and salary packages will all be in the mix. But let’s not forget the importance of the workplace too.

   A good workplace can make the difference between top talent thriving within your business or looking elsewhere to develop their career. Invest in your best employees and provide flexible working arrangements and this will make a noticeable difference to staff retention.

   As well as the culture of your business, it’s important to consider the environment. The best companies to work for in the UK don’t just have the right HR processes in place, they also provide spaces that people want to work in.

   Here’s some of the things you can do to turn your workplace in to one your employees can’t wait to get to each day:

   Invest in your IT infrastructure

   Having the right software and hardware to allow your employees to do their job will make your workplace a much more desirable place to be. When IT systems fail or are not flexible enough this can be a major frustration and will slow productivity.

   Provide excellent facilities

   Investing in non-business critical infrastructure like outdoor seating and socialising spaces will improve morale among your staff. You might also find these become informal collaboration spaces where employees who don’t usually work close together can meet to review shared projects.

   Some top UK employers, like Facebook and Salesforce, even offer free food and drink to their staff.

   Think about your environmental impact

   Working in an environmentally conscious organisation is becoming increasingly important to employees. Think about how you can save energy with smart lighting and heating systems that adapt to how the building is being used. This will also save you money.

   Make it fun

   Employees who enjoy the experience of being at work are more likely to be productive and loyal to their business. That’s why big name brands like Google, Apple and BrewDog invest in summer parties, gyms, chill out zones, and office spaces designed with flare.

   If you are looking to recruit within your affordable housing business then we can help. Ocean Edge has 20 years experience helping the affordable housing sector find the top candidates.

   We have teams in Southampton and London who are ready to help you recruit to your organisation. Find out more about our recruitment consultancy services or call 023 8000 1153 or email info@oceanedge.biz.