Stress is normal in the workplace, but if your workers are in low-paid positions or they are customer-facing, they are more likely to suffer from certain stress factors that could have a negative impact on your business and its performance.
High stress levels are bad for morale, productivity and retention, not to mention profitability, so making sure your staff is as well-equipped as possible to deal with the inevitable stresses of their roles is vital.
Our experts here at Webrecruit are on hand with three reasons why your employees may be stressed out – and how to fix them.
Dealing with customers
Dealing with customers can be stressful for employees. For example, your staff may not know how to answer a question or may have to deal with an unruly customer. To reduce stress, be sure to focus on job training with Recruitment Software and team building activities, such as by providing customer service courses or holding problem-solving days.
Emphasising positivity and encouraging strong communication between employees and management will help to reduce stress levels and find quicker solutions to pressing problems.
Too much monitoring
In some jobs, continuous performance monitoring is necessary to meet targets, but it can also have a negative impact on performance and increase stress.
The pressure on an employee of trying to maintain the uninterrupted highest level of performance over the longest period isn’t sustainable, so instead encourage self-monitoring.
To reduce stress while boosting morale and increasing performance, make sure you set realistic goals and offer attractive incentives.
Environmental factors
The workplace environment plays a significant role in the performance of your staff and their stress levels. Physical factors, such as sitting at a desk for extended periods, can be bad for the body and mind, so offer regular breaks and analyse your office ergonomics.
The general nature of a job has an impact on stress levels, too. Answering phone calls and keying in information can get repetitive and boring. Instead, offer varied job roles and split up tasks to help keep motivation high.
In loud, crowded or distracting environments, employees won’t be able to focus. To reduce stress, make sure you offer a comfortable, calm working environment and lay down rules for employees so that they know how to respect their colleagues’ working needs.
Of course, one of the most important factors to consider when attempting to reduce workplace stress is whether you have hired the right people for the right roles. By writing clear and accurate job descriptions and using the right Recruitment technology, you can find more suitable candidates for your roles and improve the all-round performance of your workforce.
By Smith L.
Christ & Co.
