HR managers are responsible for a wide variety of tasks in companies. Some of them find themselves juggling multiple roles just to help keep an organization in tip-top shape.
Among the activities that HR managers fulfill on a day-to-day basis are recruiting and training staff members, maintaining employee records, planning and organizing team building activities, and ensuring the well-being of workers.
In a busy and ever-changing corporate environment, these valuable professionals can feel burned out. Today’s HR managers cannot rely on a simple “survival checklist” alone to stay productive. A holistic approach to health should be considered so they can help contribute to the attainment of organizational success.
By keeping themselves healthy, HR managers will be able to set a good example to teams and promote a true culture of wellness in the workplace.
Here are some health tips you need to consider as an HR manager:
1.) Make sure to take regular work breaks
Taking work breaks leads to better performing employees. One unfortunate fact is that most of us fail to appreciate the value of taking a break even as little as five minutes. The result is that we blame our increasing workload for feeling overwhelmed.
According to an article on Fast Company, making time for breaks at the office has scientific benefits. It has been mentioned that the human brain is not capable of focusing on a task for a very long time – especially in this era of technology. A short interruption can help people sharpen their attention on a task.
As an HR manager, don’t feel guilty to take a break. Also encourage everyone in the office to have some downtime. A good break can be strolling, having coffee, or closing the eyes for a couple of minutes.
2.) Stock up on healthier food choices
A reason why people in general are more relaxed when it comes to food choices is that they do not immediately feel the impact of food on their bodies. The process of food digestion and absorption takes time and the mere absence of immediate results leads people to eat foods high in sugar and calories.
Let healthy food options be within reach. An excellent idea would be to suggest healthy snacking. Discover snacks recipes together with your employees. Have those salty chips replaced with natural alternatives like apple slices with almond butter and frozen grapes.
3.) Pursue work-life balance
Work-life balance can mean different things to every employee. Moreover, your staff members won’t be able to appreciate you encouraging them to keep a balanced work life without doing it yourself.
Before creating a healthy and well-balanced workplace, you need to internalize its advantages for the company you work for. Some of these benefits include a lower rate of absenteeism, better staff retention, and higher levels of creativity and productivity.
Some companies have considered the idea of bringing dogs and kids to the office. In the case of having kids accompany their parents at work, there will be lesser stress on the part of employees knowing that their children are safe. When it comes to dogs, it has been shown that canine friends help keep employees happy, relaxed, and sane.
Other options to consider to promote work-life balance include organizing family outings, team building activities, and working on a flexible schedule.
4.) Examine the current workplace culture
Spend time to understand what’s going on in your company. If you feel burdened or stressed out, most likely the rest of your staff members are as well. Ask yourself and your team whether the expectations you need to meet are realistic and whether people are maintaining healthy relationships.
Make sure to assess your individual needs as an HR manager and do the same to your employees. Better yet, have people (including yourself) fill out a “culture survey.” The survey should ask open-ended questions on physical space, peer-to-peer interaction, and employee behaviors.
A better workplace culture dramatically improves every employee’s health by increasing brain chemicals such as serotonin and oxytocin that influence positive feelings.
5.) Promote physical activity
To foster a workplace that prioritizes exercise, it’s important to get your employees started with actions that they can easily commit to. Simple, day-to-day strategies include parking far from the office building or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Integration is the key.
More advanced and highly engaging methods include offering gym memberships and organizing regular yoga and exercise classes. Some companies have taken a step further by creating a dedicated fitness area.
6.) Value people
A healthy work environment is one where employees feel that they are given real value and are treated as persons.persons What workers (mostly millenials) want is a job that aligns with their individual needs and goals.
While a lot of people complain that millennials are a lazy bunch, they miss out on the fact that this new generation of workers put more importance in a fulfilling job than a highly impressive salary.
As an HR manager, you may need to look at every aspect of your work environment. Check whether there are distractions that may hamper an employee’s productivity or if your company culture includes opportunities for personal and professional growth.
7.) Walk the talk
Lastly, to promote health in the workplace for the best results, HR managers need to put their ideas into practice. No employee would heed the advice of a manager whose words and actions do not complement one another. Even without emphasizing health programs, workers can already grasp the importance of keeping themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally fit when they recognize pro-health behaviors in top management.
