Empathy Matters

The transforming impact of empathy on Employee Wellbeing and Productivity

What’s more melancholic to HR than losing a productive workforce to conflict and dissatisfaction particularly when it could have exercised its power to foster a healthy work culture and retain key employees. In the modern expeditious and competitive world of work, companies have started to embrace the once-lacking human factor of people management aka empathy. By cultivating empathic factors within hr practices, organizations can achieve a workplace wherein employees feel understood, admired and valued. Empathy, which is linked directly with the quality of understanding others' feelings, also works as a catalyst when it comes to boosting productivity and the serenity of employees. Through this article, we tend to explore the impact of empathy portrayed by HR and how it positively improves employee well- being and productivity.

Understanding empathy:

One of the sine qua non to achieving organizational success is to uphold empathy as the linkage between employee wellbeing and productivity. Companies are becoming aware that investing in the former can lead to valuable gains in the latter.

But what exactly does empathy mean?

Empathy in the workplace refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings, emotions, perspectives, and experiences of colleagues or employees. It surpasses sympathy and includes within its parameters- diligently seeing through someone’s eyes that is actively comprehending what others think, from your point of view. It involves actively listening, being aware of others' struggles, and demonstrating genuine care and understanding. An empathetic workplace fosters a sense of connection and trust where individuals feel valued, heard, and supported, leading to improved collaboration, productivity, and overall well-being of employees.

Enhancing employee well-being through empathy - How empathy contributes to employee mental health and wellness

1. Efficient dispute resolution- Empathy is a means of finding cordial solutions to a problem, thereby reducing negative workplace experiences such as conflict and dissatisfaction. By stimulating a stress-free environment, and helping young employees to navigate through work and life stressors more effectively, hr can give assurance to them that their minds are cared for. The HR department can play this pivotal role to identify signs of a toxic work environment and fix them in time.

Related: Workplace Negativity- how to deal with it?

2. Encourages employee engagement- which is the hidden key to lasting industry success. When employees feel appreciated and supported through the actions of their supervisors, colleagues and hr personnel, they are likely to engage in activities that boost job satisfaction. The right treatment of employees, that they must feel seen, heard and understood is quite underrated but leads to higher growth opportunities and even higher levels of employee engagement and commitment to the company.

Also read: Employee Experience Is the Key to Lasting Industry Success

3. Enhanced emotional support- creating a safe space for your employees is of utmost importance. Employers can provide emotional support by allowing their workforce to express their concerns, Issues, fatigue and personal challenges. Employers can organize help groups, seminars and mentorship programs to build healthy communication streams and grievance redressal mechanisms. Leave no gaps for resentment and frustration in the workspace.

Our tip- HR can conceptualize employee wellness programs which will add to positive work culture.

Empathy and productivity - Empathy as a tool for effective communication and interpersonal relationships

Empathy not only plays an essential role in enhancing employee well- being, but it can also add to the productivity of your workforce, in the following ways:

1. Reduces turnover and absenteeism- empathy can act as an effective tool for retaining a pool of key managerial personnel. Employee retention is the grail for prolonged efforts of treating employees with respect and cooperation. One simple method to overcome absenteeism among employees is to proactively address their concerns before they intensify. You have to include strategies such as work-life balance and the option of remote work and create a hard-to-leave workplace and reduce attrition rates.

Also read- Employee Retention Strategies For 2022- A process- driven approach to keeping your best people.

2. Encourages innovation and collaboration- there are so many advantages to integrating empathy in the work environment, one of which is collaboration among team members. When hr fosters an empathic culture, communication grows and so does team bonding, conscientiousness and creative problem-solving. High- performing teams are a result of members who feel understood, supported and valued.

Harnessing Empathy in the modern workplace

The best way to derive the utmost benefits from showcasing empathy is by nurturing and incorporating it into the company’s policies, procedures and practices. Through core training sessions for upper management and workers, HR can enhance work relationships and nourish a positive culture that values empathy as a key constituent of employee well-being and productivity.

Recommendations for employers

HR and employers together can act as gatekeepers of company culture and employee engagement. They have to play a pivotal role in advancing empathy in the workplace. By creating value-added policies and norms, training modules and helping employees cater to their everyday problems, hr and management can resolve conflicts and prioritize employee wellbeing.

To sum up…

PCS recommends companies embrace empathy as a powerful tool to revolutionize methods to approach employee well-being, prosperity and productivity. There must be good feedback programs intact to help managers assess the success of their empathic endeavours. Providing opportunities to managers and employees to develop and improve their empathy skills will fuel a positive change and create a vibrant and resilient organisation as a whole.

For a company like PCS, which provides staffing solutions to employers and businesses all over the GTA, feedback is an integral part of our work. Whether it is formal, informal, external, or internal, giving and receiving feedback aids us in the improvement of our services and leads us toward greater success.

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