Nora Dobre, Zenitech’s HR Manager in Romania, recently spoke to Global HR Manager about how the pandemic has brought personalised employee wellbeing into fresh focus. The challenges of remote or hybrid working have meant HR departments have had to focus on culture and flexibility to fit the changing needs of both organisations and their employees.
She talks about why the mental wellbeing of employees should be a top priority for business, and what organisations can do to support it. Courses and workshops are important, but so is a strong company culture of wellbeing, from the top down. This is particularly important in the context of the ‘Great Resignation’, the talent drain from companies as people review what they want from their working environment. Health and wellbeing is critical to all businesses, and considering the mental and physical health of employees is now a basic requirement for employers, as well as giving them the opportunities, processes and practical tools they need, to be fulfilled and inspired at work.
Employers need to find ways to motivate, support and integrate hybrid or fully virtual teams if they are to attract and retain the very best talent. Nora talks about HR being the ‘Scrum Masters’ of their teams, offering continuous service and incremental improvements to employees. That means always understanding what motivates employees, and actively encouraging and listening to their feedback, regularly. She says how important it is to elicit feedback from your teams in a collaborative way, and make real changes on the back of it – showing people that their views are being taken seriously by the business.
A strong focus on internal communications is also vital for a healthy workplace, and this sits at the heart of an HR team’s responsibility. Communication with employees should be personalised where possible, as well as implementing broad communications to a wider team. The key to successful internal communication is authenticity – staying true to the organisation’s values and behaviour, and being accessible to facilitate two-way communication with employees.
All this is important to show employees that they are valued and heard. It should start from the point of recruitment, and continue through onboarding and into the individual’s employment. This is part of employer branding, which, as Nora says, has become a strategic priority for businesses, and critical to employee retention.
In an employee’s market, ensuring a positive employee experience early on could be the difference between an engaged, motivated workforce, and one that is constantly seeking to move onto new ground. And as Nora says, you can’t implement retention tools when it’s too late.
One of the key ways we do this at Zenitech is by focusing on consistent growth when it comes to employee development. Engaged and motivated employees who are being rewarded and recognised for their development build stronger teams and help us provide the best possible service to our clients.
You can read Nora’s article in the original Romanian, here:
