More Flexibility, Less Stress: Strategies for a balanced workplace

This isn’t the only correlation worth paying attention to: stress levels are higher among young workers and those who work remotely or in a hybrid model. What could account for this? Perhaps it’s because remote work is less structured or due to the number of meetings one can have in a single day (unlike in-person meetings, virtual encounters tend to be more “efficient,” with no downtime or casual conversations).

To avoid this extreme fatigue, companies must find a balance between the best of both worlds.

On one hand, people management should focus on human aspects. It’s not just about increasing productivity at any cost but fostering a balance between employees’ personal and professional lives and maintaining active listening and high empathy to identify demands, needs, or discomfort, or to encourage participation (having a voice and a vote increases commitment and the feeling that work is done with purpose). The same Gallup report has found that maintaining meaningful conversations with each remote or hybrid employee once a week, focusing on recognition, collaboration, strengths and weaknesses, priorities, and goals, is crucial.

On the other hand, enabling technological tools that allow real flexibility is essential. In the case of Workdeck, for example, the digital workspace is provided with all functionalities available so that each worker can meet their objectives in a timely manner. Additionally, analytical tools are provided to leaders to have visibility over their team members’ performance, receive early alerts of deviations, and quickly identify and address any issues.

This combination of proper people management with the right technological tools results in benefits for all parties involved. The organization will achieve higher retention rates, increased well-being in the workplace, and greater commitment from its employees. Again, Gallup helps us understand the correlations: higher engagement directly connects with performance outcomes, especially in tough economic circumstances, as seen in these uncertain times.

Team members will experience a sense of greater freedom, crucial for them to give their best to every task, while their performance can be continuously analyzed to identify the presence of factors such as stress that may be affecting it. Finally, customers will receive higher levels of attention and quality.

In conclusion, the combination of flexibility and appropriate technological tools activates a virtuous cycle resulting in happier, less stressed employees, and consequently, more committed and productive ones.

We invite you to take a free trial to see how Workdeck can improve your organization’s reality.