9 October 2008
Effective relationships boost employee wellbeing and engagement
Communication professionals play a key facilitation role.
Business psychologist Robertson Cooper has recently unveiled a research-based report, Well-Being at Work: The New View.
Drawing on survey data from more than 40,000 public and private sector UK employees, the report explores the factors influencing workplace psychological wellbeing – cited in the survey as the most important factor for driving UK workplace productivity.
Other key findings from the report:
- Employees underestimate the importance of workplace relationships. While employees don't see relationships as a major cause of stress, findings show good working relationships are the strongest predictor of positive psychological wellbeing.
- Employees identify lack of control in the workplace as their biggest source of stress. Participants say they often lack the autonomy to make decisions and take actions enabling them to do their job more effectively. Even in these troubled economic times, this control issue causes more stress than pay concerns.
Wellbeing network
The report coincides with the company’s first annual “Business Wellbeing Network Conference” – a 70% public and 30% private sector mix of HR and occupational health professionals.
Employees identify lack of control in the workplace as their biggest source of stress.
The Hub contacted Robertson Cooper's spokesperson Gordon Tinline, who says the network is bringing “wellbeing” to the top of the organizational agenda.
“Five years ago the majority of organizations wouldn’t have seen wellbeing as a topic for discussion, let alone a key investment priority,” Tinline says.
Link between wellbeing and engagement
“One of the key messages from this new review is the centrality of relationships at work,” Tinline says. Wellbeing and engagement are closely linked and good relationships drive them both.
Robertson Cooper recognizes that improving engagement directly is very difficult. The report says, “It's easier to see how to improve psychological wellbeing and doing so will not only improve engagement, but have a broad range of other benefits.”
Improving engagement has the potential to increase productivity, but the report says this will only happen if employees’ psychological wellbeing is strong (see Figure 1. below).
Figure 1. From psychological wellbeing to organizational outcomes
Tinline believes internal communication has a critical facilitation role in making engagement a reality. He sees this having a wellbeing parallel, a topic that often gets devolved to health and safety personnel. Engagement, like wellbeing, is also a leader’s job, but it too must be well supported by experts.
Lack of control is a critical factor
“The thing that bothers most people at work, based on these 40,000 cases of data, is a lack of control,” Tinline says. “People want to work through their own problems and issues, but need support.”
The worst thing a manager can do is try to take the problem away, resulting in a perception of losing control, which can make matters worse.
The report says this lack of control is likely to be a major cause of stress. Since feelings of control relate to wellbeing, internal communicators can also help employees. For example, by involving them in important conversations about the business.
Wellbeing and engagement are closely linked and good relationships drive them both.
Language is key to an effective business case
The report gives guidance on making a wellbeing business case, where Tinline says the language of “wellbeing” and “stress” is not always helpful.
Most people see “wellbeing” as physical wellbeing, like going to a gym, but that's only a part of it. Psychological wellbeing relies on a sense of achievement, purpose and clarity of goals. Leaders are also less interested in reducing their workers’ “stress” levels than in creating a “resilient” workforce.
Importance of survey follow-up
The report says many organizations regularly survey staff without fully engaging them in the process. Tinline adds that organizations can pay too little attention to follow-through.
He says a wellbeing survey must include a step giving all managers the results relevant to their area – to help create a dialogue with their staff. “There’s no point in going into another survey if you haven’t thought how to complete the loop and allow people to suggest solutions.” This final step helps people feel more in control and involved in the follow-up actions.
Robertson Cooper tries to include internal communication staff early when running wellbeing surveys. Tinline says, “They’ve lots of creative ways to get staff to take an interest. We think it’s important to have their input.”
Readers can purchase the report from Robertson Cooper’s website.
Have your say
If relationships are so critical, there must be implications for internal communication – particularly in the age of new technology. How do you help people develop effective virtual relationships?
To what extent do you think new technology has impacted relationship-building? What role does internal communication have to play in supporting and improving relationship-building across the organization?
Recommended resources:
Melcrum report: How to develop effective internal communication partnerships
Q&A: How can we help employees cope with the stress of an acquisition bid?
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