Tip 1: Nurture Your Employees’ Work-Life Balance

If you’re an employer and want your company to stay ahead of the game, you need a plan. We’re offering tips on how to future-proof your workforce in preparation for the rapid changes that are coming or already here. And flexibility is at the center of doing of nurturing your employees’ work-life balance.

If you’re facing a talent and labor shortage, you’re not alone. The reasons include a retiring workforce, worker burnout, a skills gap, and a shift in priorities. Upskilling and finding workers with expertise in quickly advancing technology is an ongoing effort that takes time and resources to address. Something that employers can address immediately is the shift in employee expectations.

Our first tip for future-proofing your workforce focuses on your employees’ work-life balance. This is something that is becoming increasingly important. As if work wasn’t demanding enough, the pandemic pushed many people to a state of burnout. The stress of work has become too draining – physically and mentally – to handle for many employees. Re-evaluating what was really important introduced the emphasis on maintaining a work-life balance.

How to Nurture a Work-Life Balance

We really saw a dramatic shift in worker mentality during and post-pandemic.  As an employer, it’s important not to write this shift off as employees just looking to complain. In fact, not respecting your employees’ need to have a work-life balance could be the very reason they choose to leave you. You can nurture this priority without jeopardizing productivity.

Practicing Flexibility Can Help Employees’ Work-Life Balance

Be flexible with working hours. It could help to conduct a survey and understand what hours your team works best. Don’t worry – this doesn’t mean your workers will only show up for a few hours a day. Offer this flexibility within reason. Some people work better early in the morning, while others seem to switch on better after midday. This flexibility could also assist your employees if they have other commitments, like studying or school drop-offs.

Encourage your employees to take breaks when productivity drops off. Let’s face it, we all get distracted. Our brains aren’t always capable of focusing on one task for too long. Rather than cracking the whip and expecting your staff to work for eight hours a day – set tasks and deadlines. If you see that they’re able to complete them despite coming into work at 10 a.m. or having a longer lunch break on Fridays, allow it.

Encourage Downtime for Better Work-Life Balance

Many of us find it hard to have real downtime. We’re still thinking about today’s meeting points or working on next week’s project on the home computer after we clock out. Encourage your employees to have proper breaks and downtime. If they spend this time exercising or with family and friends, they get a chance to reboot and can come back to work focused.

If you notice your workers sending emails on the weekend or late in the evening, check in and discuss why they’re taking their work home with them. If you see employees not using their full break, insist that they take regular breaks. There are plenty of online tools that can help them work in blocks with scheduled breaks. Many employees don’t even realize that they’re burning out until it’s too late – and then the consequences fall on you.

Identifying Personal Goals Can Also Encourage Work-Life Balance

Get to know your team’s personal goals. Help them align these with their professional ones. We don’t often think of them simultaneously, but we should. Offering the opportunity for your workers to share their personal goals is a thoughtful way to promote work-life balance.

Someone could be concerned that they’re not spending enough time with their partner who works afternoons and nights. You could propose an adjusted work schedule that allows them to start and end later in the day. Someone else may be striving to walk more steps each day. The company could provide a tracking device and encourage exercise during break times.

Your employees should have work and a life. There are plenty of tactics for you to introduce within the workplace to ensure that there is a balance. But if the work is being completed, why should you care?

Why You Should Care About Your Employee’s Work-Life Balance

Companies aren’t just competing for customers anymore – they’re fighting for skilled labor, too.

“Employers who are committed to providing environments that support work-life balance for their employees can save on costs, experience, fewer cases of absenteeism, and enjoy a more loyal and productive workforce,” said career expert Chris Chacey

The happiness of your employees directly correlates with their productivity. As we all know, happiness isn’t measured solely on career success. We need to thrive emotionally, socially, and personally. If you allow your team to do so, they will be less stressed and have higher morale coming into work every day.

With enough time to manage personal responsibilities, employees have fewer reasons to ask for time off. They also get more time to rest and look after their health, reducing the need for sick days. What more could you ask for as an employer than available and dedicated workers?

If you as an employer want to retain workers and attract top talent, prioritizing your employees’ work-life balance should be at the top of your list. Without nurturing this healthy balance, your team may become overworked and look elsewhere for opportunities.

This leads us to our next tip: Don’t let your employees burn out.