As much as we, as Employers, may invest in solid processes and practices that promote optimum productivity, it will all be short-lived if wellbeing is not a part of the equation.
Low levels of wellbeing in the workplace leads to Employee dissatisfaction, poor productivity, absenteeism, and worse, resignations as Employees opt to move to other companies, potentially even competitors. While some may seek pay rises in lieu of an improved working situation, this is usually only a short-term fix and won’t stop them from jumping ship if they find better perks elsewhere.
Indeed’s Work Wellbeing 2022 Insights Report stated that more than a third of workers in the UK were unhappy with their jobs. This is astonishingly high. But what resolutions are available?
Taking Notes From The Happiest Country In The World
The Nordic countries are well known for their focus on happiness and wellbeing. Finland has held the title of the ‘Happiest Country in the World’ (as awarded by the United Nations), for the last five years. It has been found that Finland outperforms the average country in terms of education, social connections, safety, environmental quality and life satisfaction. All of these factors are perfect contributors to wellbeing in life, as well as work.
So what can UK organisations learn and adopt from our Nordic neighbours?
A Warm Welcome
Hospitality is an essential part of life in the Nordic countries. Gathering with family and friends for good food, conversation, a sense of community, contentment and wellbeing, is known as Hygge, Lagom or Fika, depending on which Nordic country you are in. The words for these customs have no direct English translation – maybe that tells us something, but equally provides us with opportunity to explore and change!
In the Nordic workplace, these customs are apparent in the onboarding process to make the new Employee feel welcomed. Gifts may be given to the Employee and their family, to give a sense of goodwill from the start.
A Sense of Community
The Nordic belief is that for a workplace to be successful, Employees should feel that they can grow and develop, not only as individuals, but collectively as a group, even extending to the community within which the workplace stands.
This comes as no surprise to Nordic people entering the workforce, as this approach begins at school. The Finnish education system operates under the belief that excellence is achieved through community and equality. The focus is on the greater good for everyone. Compare this to the UK education system where the focus is on individuals hitting targets, and teacher pay and school funding rises and falls depending on exam results and Ofsted reports. It’s easy to understand why the latter might engender an ‘Every Person For Themself’ approach to work, with a pursuit of more money to compensate for a lack of satisfaction, even though this is clearly not a long-term solution.
Easier Management Styles
Nordic organisations aim to create a foundation of Employee wellbeing and satisfaction, and they model this by flattening management structures. They remove any levels of management that add no value. These flatter management structures invite better communication and transparency. The result is better harmony between the goals and expectations of the Employees, and the goals and expectations of the organisation.
They also place a significant focus on providing the training, tools and resources Employees need to improve and work collaboratively to achieve the organisation’s goals. They do this by providing clear career paths, opportunities for growth, and achievable targets. This last factor is very important, as the absence of it in some fields in the UK has become obvious by the number of strikes we have seen in recent months. When Employees are not provided with opportunities, satisfactory working conditions or realistic targets, they will often look to higher wages to offset this lack. Either way, it is a recipe for eventual failure.
Rather than trying to force an effective and harmonious workplace from above, Employers should seek out and listen to feedback from Employees as to their needs, expectations, challenges and levels of satisfaction, and aim to work together to make improvements where needed.
Wellbeing As a By-Product, Not a Target
Wellbeing initiatives in the workplace are an excellent investment in Employee health and happiness. But, before you engage in putting recommended wellbeing practices in place, such as healthy snack provisions, better lighting and lunchtime yoga, examine your current operations. Do Employees feel in control of their work, or do they feel micro-managed? Do they feel they have opportunities for growth in their roles, or do they feel stifled? Do they feel listened to and that their feedback is taken seriously? Do they feel that their contributions are welcomed and appreciated? The idea in asking such questions is to ascertain whether Employees have everything they feel they need, as well as options that they may want. If they do, wellbeing will likely occur as a by-product, and if they don’t, then baby steps to change can begin to be implemented. Levels of wellbeing can then act as a measure for how well all other practices in the organisation are working. Beyond this, formal wellbeing practices will truly be icing on the cake.
Conclusion
A workplace without good levels of wellbeing is like a car without oil – you can definitely get going, but you won’t get very far and you won’t be in great shape when you get there. Maybe UK organizations could benefit from adopting some of the wellbeing and happiness practices that have stood the Nordic countries in good stead for so many years, to inspire job satisfaction, more productivity, greater retention, and overall success.
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