ARIt’s a common situation that we’ve all experienced. An employee walks into their office, takes a seat at their desk and someone asks the million-pound question. ‘How are you doing today?’ It’s so common in fact that it can be asked towards millions of employees on a daily basis across the world. What may be more common though is the response; ‘Fine’ ‘All good’ ‘Not bad thanks’. Does it sound familiar? But do these common pleasantries really ask how employees are or what they’re actually thinking? We take a closer look at what employees may be hiding behind the nods and smiles and explore what this means for employee wellbeing.
Putting employees on the spot
The responses to ‘How are you doing today’ may be so familiar because they’ve been drilled into us for so long. It’s common for many staff to not voice their true opinions, and instead, set themselves to automatic pilot when faced with the question. In a lot of ways, confronting someone about how they are feeling can feel intrusive or cause worry around what may happen if they were honest and revealed they weren’t happy. An employee could be concerned around potential consequences or feel it would create negative opinions about them if met with disagreement. There’s a lot of uncertainty when put on the spot which is why ‘All good’ can seem like the better option.
As employers, it’s good to check in with staff, and in many ways, asking employees how they are doing can bring forward issues that need addressing. Not everyone in the office will be as forthcoming though, and in the modern age, many of us can struggle with social interaction, especially when it is around a sensitive topic. People have a lot going on whether it’s at home or at work, and managing employee wellbeing is now seen as a high priority for the workplace. Consider the bigger picture and understand what may be hiding behind those automatic responses.
How to better understand what employees are actually thinking
It’s no surprise that it can be incredibly hard to determine how someone is feeling. If you’ve asked your question in the morning, then it can feel like you’ve done all you can do. It’s not exactly easily to say ‘I don’t believe you’ when a member of staff says they’re fine and it’s evident that they’re not. Supporting employee wellbeing though is an important part of running a successful business and if not managed correctly, the energy bar we spoke about will start to deplete.
Many work environments have the means to support staff with everyday concerns, which is why it can feel frustrating to not be able to help and resolve what may be holding them back. As with many of things though, it’s just a case of providing the correct avenues of support. If you feel like your in-person approach to wellbeing is not working, make use of what technology can provide. Edtesa wellbeing gives employees an anonymous platform to voice concerns through various aspects of their work, from mental health to their work load. You get a detailed breakdown of where issues lie, as well as insight into where adaption and improvement may be needed.
Take away intrusion and give them a safe, secure platform to voice what is really going on. Giving employees the privacy and time to consider their own wellbeing can gather much better results around where you could improve and push your business towards positivity.
