Employees spend a significant part of their lives at their workplaces. For this reason, it’s of the utmost importance for them to work in a healthy productive work environment. A healthy work environment will make your team feel better, have more energy, and increase their productivity, which benefits the business in the long run.

Promoting a healthier and more productive work environment means that the organization needs to work with and around its conditions. It also means that you, as the leader, should work on your leadership traits and, together with the team, set clear goals, and have reasonable requirements.

An efficient leader doesn’t only delegate tasks, but they should learn how to connect with their employees by facilitating open communication, encouraging development and growth, and giving and receiving feedback. The best way to create a healthy and productive work environment and improve engagement and performance is through specific strategies that we will discuss below. 

Ensure A Sense of Belonging

Studies show a clear desire among employees, where pride in the workplace, well-being, commitment, autonomy, and relationships are becoming more important than salaries and titles. According to a survey conducted by the social network LinkedIn, the feeling of safety, belonging and appreciation are among the most important factors.

If you want to be recognized as a company that prioritizes diversity equity and inclusion, dare to invest in your staff care and make each employee feel like they belong. Review what your employees require to feel good and committed. If you accommodate their needs, you will find a financially profitable model, which in the long run is significantly cheaper than a high staff turnover.

If you want to make diversity equity and inclusion your top priority, you need to create a workplace that will be full of acceptance and support, and a place where everyone feels safe and welcomed. Employees must feel that they can share anything with the rest of their team members without any fear or pressure.

Shared events, activities, and meals are brilliant examples that are easy to organize and encourage relationship-building.

Organize Teambuilding Exercises

Team building exercises have been shown to have a major impact on employee productivity. They also create safety and better cohesion among workers, which is crucial for people’s happiness. If you feel that you can trust your colleagues, stress will decrease, creating a calmer and more relaxed work atmosphere.

It’s easy to create tunnel vision at work by working hard and trying to achieve the best possible results as an individual. However, not accepting help from others ultimately creates problems, which in many cases leads to poor communication, poorer results, and in some cases burnout. Studies show that exercises that bring together work groups not only increase productivity but also general well-being at work.

Gather Feedback and Ideas from Employees

An unlikely but powerful way to get the best out of your employees is to gather feedback from them. Your employees who work in different departments such as customer support or product development will gain insights from their daily experience of performing tasks.

They might understand a customer’s pain points or know about features you need to consider adding. Your employees’ knowledge is a valuable resource that you can tap into using regular communication and feedback techniques.

Try to hold brainstorming sessions, schedule regular one-on-one meetings, create an idea board or channel where people can share their thoughts and ideas, and don’t forget about sending out feedback surveys.

When you get actionable insights from your team, use their feedback to give them the tools and processes they need. As a result, they’ll be more productive and satisfied. What’s even more important is that they’ll feel appreciated and heard at work, which will make them enjoy their work more and do their best.

Treat Others The Same Way You Would Like to Be Treated

The workplace is an arena where a group of people who have not chosen each other must cooperate daily. The golden rule of treating others as you would like to be treated as a basic ethical principle that still holds today. But it’s good to remember that not everyone wants to be treated the same way. One employee may love having a daily dialogue with the boss, while another employee finds it a burden.

Inspire Employees to Live Healthily

Support employees’ ambitions to exercise and live healthily. Introduce walking meetings and other ways that contribute to activity and reduce sedentary behaviour. Ask those who have a lot of sick days how you can support them to complete their work.

Final Thoughts

Creating a healthier and more productive work environment doesn’t have to be hard or costly. Ensuring a sense of belonging, treating others well, involving employees in decision-making, and getting their feedback can enhance the overall mood of the organization. This way, you’ll have happier employees and significantly improve employee productivity and performance.