5 Tips for Promoting Startup Employee Wellbeing

by Startacus Admin

Make sure that you have happy employees in your startup right from the beginning, by applying some of these basic tips...

There is a lot to consider as you launch your startup, so much so that it can feel like you’re being pulled in many different directions at once. One thing that can often get forgotten about, or not given full attention to, is employee wellbeing. The company owner is so busy making sure the business is off to a good start and on the road to success that the ingredients to that success aren’t always fully accounted for. The fact is that when you have happy employees, you have productive employees, and this is a benefit for the startup.

Knowing this to be the case, why not promote employee wellbeing right from the start and ensure that you have this angle covered? There are some pretty simple ways you can go about promoting and engaging in employee wellbeing, as we will discuss.

Create a Workspace That Is Comfortable and Encourages Productivity

First off, you want to be sure that the workplace you set up takes into consideration the comfort level of employees. This means giving them comfortable desks and chairs, a functional workstation, ample lighting, enough storage space, and the right equipment (software and hardware) to do their job. If they are comfortable at their workstation, they will be that much more focused on their work, which makes them more productive overall.

Provide Healthy Food Options in the Breakroom

The majority of workplaces out there offer employees some sort of breakroom or lunch room, which gives staff a place to relax and prepare and enjoy a snack or meal during the workday. Besides offering the essentials like a fridge, coffeemaker, and microwave, you may want to take things to the next stage and also ensure there are healthy food choices on-hand. 

You can use this meal plan app to get fabulous ideas on recipes, ingredients, and food choices that can be supplied. Employees could even download the app themselves and prepare their meals in the breakroom if you ensure the ingredients are on-hand, or at least the main ingredients. This can act as a huge incentive in not just attracting top talent to your company, but keeping them.

Make Sure Employees Take Frequent Small Breaks

Rather than waiting until lunch for employees to step away from their desk, it’s important to encourage them to take frequent small breaks during the day. This could even mean standing up and doing some light stretches at their workstation. By taking these small breaks, it helps to re-energize them, helps with focus and concentration, and makes the day go by in a much more enjoyable manner.

Create an Environment with Open Communication

Part of making sure that an employee’s wellbeing is being kept a priority is making sure they feel comfortable coming to their supervisor or manager with any issues or concerns. The last thing you want to do is create a stressful environment where employees are too scared to speak up. When they do voice concerns, they need to be met with understanding and actions to solve the situation promptly and fairly.

A Collaborative Team Atmosphere

Finally, you want to be sure that the atmosphere is one of collaborative teamwork and not where employees are pitted against each other, competing for attention, and where bullying can flourish. Everyone needs to feel valued and part of the team, and understand that they play an important part in the company’s success.

Each of these tips gives employers a way to make employee wellbeing a priority in their startup, thereby increasing job satisfaction and production levels. Keep in mind that these will need to be on-going efforts, not a quick one-time deal.

 

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Published on: 2nd April 2021