Ways to Create a Healthy Workspace

Is your company a great place to work that will attract and retain top talent? That’s the goal, but there are layers at play when it comes to creating a healthy workspace, and it can pose a real challenge for today’s employers to live up to this standard. But it can be done! Here are Delong Staffing Specialists' top tips to help you get started on a healthier trajectory.

What is a Healthy Workplace?

In this context, “healthy” doesn’t just refer to traditional wellness habits–though encouraging traditional “healthy” habits definitely does apply. Instead, we’re focused on ways that an employer can create a setting or foster a healthy environment. One in which employees feel comfortable, appreciated, and equipped to do their job. Safety–in every sense–is the baseline. Challenges are good, but excessive stress is not. Progress and growth are encouraged, but employees aren’t weighed down by unrealistic expectations. 

What does a truly healthy workplace feel like from the inside? In a healthy workplace, everyone can feel and sense the positive energy and know that it is genuine and not a mere pretense. Employees know that they have a voice, and they feel comfortable using it. Innovation and individuality are celebrated as ways for everyone to learn, and flexibility and autonomy are valued. Wellness is a company priority, and those in positions of authority are transparent with their teams. Employees who live up to the company’s values are recognized and supported. 

Why Is A Healthy Workplace Important?

Wouldn’t you rather work somewhere that you felt appreciated, valued, respected, and engaged, even if it meant not getting that big raise right away? While this doesn’t hold true for every worker and every situation, we can’t underestimate the practical value of a healthy work environment. We often spend more time at work and with our team members than we do with our own families. If we can go to a place that doesn’t instill dread but instead upbuilds us, that value can’t be bought or sold.

Fostering a more compassionate workplace environment will naturally boost employee morale, and it could even aid in productivity, loyalty, and retention rates. A more content and supported workforce could also mean less absenteeism and healthcare expenses for business owners. On top of the granular benefits to a company’s budget, a work environment that prioritizes workforce wellbeing will also naturally foster innovation, creativity, and teamwork that can lead to smarter business decisions and outcomes. 

These improvements taken together can’t help but improve an organization’s culture and fuel long-term success. The true value of a healthy work environment is hard to quantify, but when you experience it, you know it’s worth the effort it takes to build.

How To Build A Healthy Workspace

You want to foster a culture of trust and safety in your company–an environment that allows for personal growth, expression, and idea sharing. But it feels like an insurmountable task. Here are some first steps employers can take, and best practices to follow:

• Prioritize and incentivize open communication
• Encourage feedback and transparency
• Promote work-life balance and employee well-being
• Build a culture of respect and inclusivity
• Offer real-world opportunities for education and growth
• Build a supportive team atmosphere
• Focus on collaboration and mutual respect

These can sound like esoteric notions that are tricky to get your mind around, but it really boils down to the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. All that said, it’s important to have tangible, everyday ways to make employees’ lives better. Here are a few to consider:

Physical Environment: Offer flexible, ergonomic options for workstations so that employees are comfortable and less likely to experience strain and injury. From seating (or standing!) to monitor positioning and keyboard placement, a thoughtful approach can make a big difference in physical and, therefore, psychological comfort. Leave plenty of room for personalization, too. Ensure that temperature, ventilation, and air quality are optimal, and keep work areas tidy and organized for improved comfort, convenience, and focus. A workspace can only offer so much, but incorporating natural light, artwork, and plants is proven to create a more calming atmosphere. Offer complimentary, quality food and drink selections where possible, and encourage employees to freely speak up if they need new or different equipment or supplies.

Psychological and Physical Wellbeing: This is a potentially huge category of actions, since wellbeing can mean something different to each individual employee. That said, some things are universal. A healthy work-life balance starts with encouragement from an employer to take time for family and personal pursuits–don’t pressure productivity. Offer support and easily accessible mental health resources and counseling services, along with practical health needs, like annual vaccination clinics, health screenings, injury prevention coaching, and easy access to healthcare and fitness programs. Make inclusion the norm, and show respect for every person, from the top down. Encourage regular breaks, fresh air, and meaningful personal communication between team members. If employees have circumstances that require flexibility, try to find ways to accommodate their needs. Offer ways for employees to grow in their expertise and add to their professional skillset if that aligns with their goals, and always keep lines of communication open between employees, management, and HR. Encourage team members to express appreciation, acknowledgment, and recognition–make it your own daily practice too.

In all your efforts to build and maintain a healthy workspace, be mindful that leading by example speaks volumes. Keep genuine positivity and respect at the forefront, and model the practices you hope your employees will adopt, especially in the work-life balance department. Some employees will always look to management to set the tone, even if others forge their own way. Putting these principles into practice will show employees that it can be done and it’s worth doing.

Once you have put policies and practices in place, don’t stop there. This is a constantly evolving situation and mindset you'll need to adopt. Get feedback in various forms from your staff so that you can find out what’s working, what isn’t, and what they suggest for improvement. When employees describe their work atmosphere, words like collaborative, supportive, engaging, approachable, appreciative, balanced, and communicative are what you want to hear. But if you hear less-than-ideal commentary, take it for what it is and find the truth in it. Be honest with yourself and do all you can to make your workplace the best it can be. 

Find Ideal Candidates That Align With Your Company Culture

You’ve worked so hard to develop, implement, and refine your healthy workspace. When you bring new people on board, you want to make sure they’re a good fit–they need to share your values and mesh well with other team members. On top of that, they of course need to be highly qualified and thoroughly vetted.

Why dedicate internal resources to finding and hiring the perfect candidates when you can work with a Cleveland employment agency that does the hard work for you. At DeLong Staffing Specialists, our team of skilled and experienced recruiters work to find the perfect match between job seekers and employers. There are plenty of job placement agencies in Cleveland, but when you work with DeLong staffing agency you’re taking advantage of collective decades of experience working in the Northeast Ohio staffing market. For manufacturing and office/professional job placement, look no further. Contact us today to learn more about our services, and check out what our customers are saying!