The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has just published their 2nd European opinion poll on Occupational Safety and Health. Surveying over 35,000 workers in 36 European countries, the poll sought to establish the level of perceived job related stress in each country, and whether this was likely to increase over the next 5 years. The findings make grim reading as overall out of the 36 countries 77% of respondents said they thought job related stress would increase over the next 5 years, with only 7% saying they thought it was likely to decrease. If we look a little closer to home, 78% of UK respondents thought job related stress would increase, with 54% saying it would increase a great deal and only 4% saying they thought it would decrease, putting the UK in the top ten most stressed countries in Europe as perceived by employees. This isn’t altogether surprising though given the tough conditions currently being experienced by UK employees and the increasing challenge of having to ‘do more with less’.
There were some positives to come out of the survey though, which highlights that the UK is committed to moving health and well-being up the corporate agenda. Most notable was the fact that the UK came top of the European league table for having confidence in their supervisor/employer’s ability to deal with occupational health and safety issues. This is a great feat and reflects the hard work that is being done to promote the importance of health and well-being at work throughout the UK (the category that job related stress falls under).
But UK respondents obviously don’t feel confident that job related stress is something that is going to be alleviated over the coming years, so it is important not to lose the momentum that we have already created. And this is an organisational issue too; as this and other surveys show, stress-related problems at work are now one of the leading causes of sickness absence for UK employees. They can also lead to lower engagement and productivity, two things that are both vital if UK employers are to weather the storm of these tough economic conditions and re-gain competitive advantage. Unfortunately it is clear that the link between stress and competitive advantage doesn’t always resonate in the minds of employers; the UK were in the bottom 10 for thinking that tackling health and safety issues would make organisations more competitive.
This statistic illustrates the work that still needs to be done to persuade senior management that improving the health and well-being of employees is a strategy for growth, and not just for improving employee health. However, if we can convince employers that enhancing the engagement, well-being and resilience of employees, improving their work-life balance and reducing the excessive pressures they are facing will have a positive impact on the productivity and growth of the organisation, then we might be going some way towards reducing the effects of job related stress on both the organisation and individuals.
Apparently we’ll spend more than the average amount of time ‘cyberloafing’ at work this coming Monday. Why? Because we’re likely to have lost sleep as a result of the clocks changing.
Research has suggested that willpower is a limited resource and that when we’ve used it up, we’re more likely to take the path of least resistance (which in this case means roaming the net rather than focusing on the task in hand). And missing sleep means we haven’t ‘recharged’ our willpower, and will therefore find it more difficult to remain focused.
Researchers used the clock change phenomenon as a quasi experiment on a large group, and recording an increase in the number of entertainment related searches performed by workers. The controlled version of the experiment that followed demonstrated the same effect. Interestingly, this research also found that those with certain personality traits (like high conscientiousness) can overcome the effects of sleep loss to some extent.
They’re not the first to suggest this ‘willpower depletion’ theory. Roy F Baumeister has come to the same conclusion and suggests that willpower is like a ‘moral muscle’ which can get tired. According to his recent book, the flipside of this is that we can develop this ‘muscle’, or at least identify its affect on our behaviour and take steps to redress the balance – mimicking the impact of natural personality traits.
And willpower is not the only thing that can be developed to help us overcome our natural (and sometimes hindering) responses to challenging situations. Personal resilience is also a quality that will differ between individuals, but can be developed in all of us. If you’d like to get started with yours, you can click here to use the free i-resilience tool.
Equal opportunity – from the Pool table to the Board table
A few years ago I had a boyfriend who was much better than me at Pool, and sometimes he used to deliberately play badly so I would win. Far from appreciating it and, perhaps despite his best intentions, I found this patronising and irritating. To make matters worse, when I improved enough to actually win, he could always claim that he’d ‘let me’ win as he had done in the past!
I was reminded of this while reading all the recent media coverage around female board membership, as this is precisely the risk that women could face if quotas are introduced. Those pushing for the introduction of legislation argue that we need to fast track the increase in board membership for women (current projections put it at about 40 years). The danger, though, is that doubts about merit will arise because of the way it is achieved, and they could leave a legacy that lasts much longer.
Another argument in favour of the quotas is that women bring emotional intelligence to the board – oft quoted is research into the link between women on boards and improvements in performance. But even if this is true, it also brings risks for true equality. Women approaching senior roles should not automatically be given the responsibility for being the compassionate or moral authority…or becoming Director of HR!
Of course, boards should not recruit ‘in their own image’, it’s vital to have a blend of leaders with different strengths, personalities and approaches. But these qualities should not be identified based on broad generalisations about gender traits, they should be based on the personality and track records of the individuals involved. Many women would be put off going for a role if they knew that their colleagues’ expectations were already so fixed. Women should not have to behave like a certain type of woman (or indeed, a certain type of man!) in order to make their mark.
Women (and other groups covered by the ‘diversity’ umbrella) don’t want a ‘guarantee’ of success, just the equal chance to achieve it. Yes, progress so far has been too slow, but we can’t just skip to the end of the book because intellectually the equality penny has dropped. There’s a whole blend of things that can be addressed to accelerate the process, but we have to do the work and involve women (directors and aspiring directors) in that process. The irony of the solution to this inequality being designed exclusively by men is palpable! The focus now needs to be on bringing about changes in culture that will facilitate truly equal opportunities – flexible working for all, not just parents or more particularly, women; performance that’s rated on outcomes rather than face time and recruitment processes that focus on the ability to do the job rather than solely on previous experience…to name but a few.
We need to be positive about women’s presence on Boards – but also realistic. High performing Boards are about accountability, respect, challenge and support – members have to believe that all of their Board level colleagues merit their place at the table.
Reports have recently emerged that many carers of the elderly are not providing the kind of service they should for this vulnerable group, indeed, that there are numerous cases of lack of respect and even abuse. So, why is this happening?
In terms of paid carers, part of the problem stems from poor selection by local authorities or private providers. They don’t necessarily select carers on their compassion, social skills, patience or their emotional intelligence. In many cases, I suspect, they are just looking for people who are prepared to do the job, tolerating the unsocial hours and the hard physical side of the work. This is clearly not the appropriate criteria for what should be a caring and supportive role.
In addition, even if they are selected with these psychological criteria, the stressful nature of the job can erode the compassion, leading to disinterest or even burnout. It’s a physically and emotional challenging role that’s not always appreciated, whether done by relatives or paid carers and maintaining high standards of service is not easy. Those working as carers need support themselves, before their behaviour turns into inappropriate treatment of their charges.
Analysis of Department of Work and Pensions figures has shown that the number of benefits claims as a result of mental health problems has increased by 29% since May 2010. They don’t estimate how much of this is related to more demanding working environments and rising unemployment, but it is having an effect on workplace sickness absence.
Legal & General, who did the analysis, say this demonstrates the importance of flagging these issues quickly and then supporting people to return to, or stay in, work. This is true, but I think it also tells us that we can do better at taking preventative action. This reinforces a message that’s been around for a long time – the need to look after our mental health as much as physical.
Physical fitness is already taken seriously, with gym membership, walking clubs, healthy eating initiatives and smoking cessation programmes in full force in many organisations. But what about caring for employees’ mental health?
The good news in there’s probably more going on than you might think – any activity that improves the 6 Essentials of workplace well-being will be helping to improve psychological well-being. The increasing interest in resilience training also signals that companies are starting to understand the importance of equipping their employees with necessary behavioural skills to preserve their psychological health.
It can be a difficult subject to approach as the results of interventions are not as tangible as physical improvements. The video below shows Andy Gibson of Mindapples, explaining how their concept is designed to get people thinking about their mental health:
The Sunday Times’ ‘Best Companies to Work For’ lists are currently being published and I’d like to extend my congratulations for those who’ve made it on there.
But who are these lists really for? It’s great for the achievement of these companies to be recognised, it’s obviously good for their employer brand and it’s a helpful signpost for jobseekers. But what we really need to do with this information is use it as a starting point for sharing best practice. There’s still a way to go before all companies are convinced of the value of creating a good place to work. Even those who are already striving to improve in this area will benefit from the experience of those who are succeeding. And with budgets tight it’s more important than ever to pool experience in order to replicate success and avoid potential pitfalls.
Of course for best practice to be shared someone needs to be on the receiving end! One of our values at Robertson Cooper is being ‘open and connected’, and part of this means being on the alert for new ideas and open to exploring them. These might come from attending events, reading articles and increasingly from Twitter or LinkedIn. Day to day demands can mean finding time to explore these new ideas is difficult – we’ve all meant to do it, only for something more urgent to come up. But if you can get in to the habit of safeguarding a certain amount of time for these activities you’ll be amazed at how valuable it can be. And if you’re a leader or manager, make it clear that your door is open for internal suggestions, they’ll probably be some of the best you’ll receive.
The Business Well-Being Network is designed to share these examples of best practice among HR and well-being professionals, if you’d be willing to contribute your experience at an event, webinar or in writing, email sophie.armond@robertsoncooper.com.
The ONS results of the national well-being survey come out today, reflecting responses given between April and September 2011. The released results include a focus on one particular domain that is being measured, in this case, relationships. Overall the findings were very positive, and on average people scored satisfaction with relationships with family, friends and colleagues at 8.3 out of 10.
We know that quality relationships are very important to well-being and vital for staving off the risks of loneliness. Drawing on social support is also one of four components of personal resilience, alongside adaptability, confidence and sense of purpose.
Interestingly, our own research has shown a correlation between age and the number of people who draw on social support as their primary source of resilience. The dependence on social support was higher among those born in the 1940s, fell during the subsequent three decades, then rose again for those born in the 1980s and 1990s.
Whether this is a linked to a rise in social networking, which allows – and to some extent, expects – us to stay in touch with people, remains to be proven. But I was glad to see the figures show that the number of people spending time with friends or family ‘every day or most days’ have both increased by 5% since 2007 – we are still meeting up in ‘real life’! Let’s hope these positive figures aren’t eroded by increasing workloads and job uncertainty, as employers recognise their responsibility for helping employees maintain a healthy work life balance for the sake of their personal relationships.
Click here to complete Robertson Cooper’s free i-resilience questionnaire – find out where you draw your natural resilience from and how to develop it.
Research by the British Heart Foundation this week reveals that one third of people think their bosses don’t care about their well-being. But as with so many of these surveys, the results leave me wanting to ask more questions! And the main one here is, what is the leader’s perspective on this? Do they really not care? I think there are a number of possibilities at play:
1. They really don’t care.
There are undoubtedly some nightmare bosses out there, those who think people should ‘just get on with it’, or who don’t understand anyone that works in a different style to themselves. But I’d like to think this isn’t the case for two thirds of people! What is possible is that they’re so busy struggling with their own demands they don’t see the impact they’re having on their teams. In these cases they just need more support themselves. And even if they really just ‘don’t care’, you can still appeal to the bottom line; improving well-being will help their team to perform better – which reflects well on them!
2. They don’t know how to care.
By this, I mean that they don’t realise what they can do to impact on employee well-being, or think it is just the responsibility of the employee themselves. Only one in three private sector organisations have a well-being strategy in place and although this rises to two in three for the public sector, it still suggests that the organisation are unlikely to be doing enough to support managers in this area. There are tools available which can uncover how a manager’s style affects their workgroup. It’s best to build this understanding around a framework such as the 6 Essentials of workplace well-being, which break down the areas of impact to make them more accessible.
3. They do care, but this isn’t well communicated to employees.
Employers can be doing a lot to try to improve employee well-being but if it’s not well communicated it will be impossible for the individual or the organisation to reap the rewards. Leaders and managers should seek to help this communication process, and employees need to take the opportunities up! And if the employees are right, and one in three leaders don’t care about well-being, then that still leaves two out of three that do. This success needs to be recognised and shared throughout the organisation and across to others in order to change the culture.
Finally, both employees and managers need to remember that achieving true well-being requires a balance of challenge and support – it’s not just about being ‘nice’ all the time!
To find out more about how managers and employees can take action to improve well-being, read this free chapter from the Business Well-Being Network annual report: ‘Robertson Cooper’s 6 Essentials of workplace well-being‘.
The stacks are set against any student considering an application to Ernst & Young (EY); they are one of over 18,000 applicants for just 1,500 graduate roles or internships. Needless to say, academic credentials are not enough to secure a job offer, because plenty of other candidates possess way more than the prerequisite exam results. So, what differentiates the best candidates? Interestingly, it’s not necessarily what the students themselves consider to be their strengths…
A recent study, led by the Centre of Applied Positive Psychology (Capp), asked over 1,000 UK university students to rate their strengths. Resilience was amongst the weakest. But, resilience is considered a crucial element for a successful placement at EY, so says Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment, “the candidates who end up with job offers also demonstrate determination and resilience, and are able to work hard and thrive in difficult situations.”
This situation is not limited to EY, or even to graduate recruitment – in the current job market, most adverts will be oversubscribed with candidates who meet the academic or technical requirements. Employers are therefore looking for people that have all-round skills and are able to demonstrate that they will face-up to the challenges of the role. The good news for employers is that resilience can be measured; and the good news for job applicants is that resilience can be developed.
Using i-resilience, we support organisations to measure state-based resilience as well as the natural strengths of candidates or employees. Individuals can also use this free tool to better understand what they naturally draw on to help them recover from setbacks or keep persevering in the face of tough challenges. Click here to use i-resilience, or for more information about using the tool when recruiting, email me at nick.hayter@robertsoncooper.com
Successful restaurant chain, Yo! Sushi, has ambitious plans to double their number of outlets over the next year. It’s great to hear about growth at a time when so many companies are struggling, and what’s really admirable about their approach is the recognition of the importance of employee engagement. 25% of their staff will be taking part in a three day consultation with the executive board on the company’s culture and how they can ‘wow’ customers. Yo! Sushi obviously identify with the ‘satisfaction mirror’ concept, and understand that this wow factor relies on a happy, healthy workforce.
Another thing I like about this story is that they are starting this from existing high levels of employee engagement. It’s not about an emergency response to a problem, but about maintaining these high levels and developing a firm cultural foundation from which to grow.
I’m not sure how many of the Sunday Times 100 fastest growing companies are taking this pro-active approach, but they’d do well to take note. It can be easy to just ‘muddle through’ when you’re dealing with rapid success and your priorities are (understandably) meeting commitments to existing clients while taking on new ones, ensuring cash flow, recruiting new staff and so on. But if you can take a step back you’re in a unique position to develop the culture you want right from the start. I’m sure there are many engagement and well-being specialists in large organisations who would love the chance to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch!
Click below to hear Jamie Mitchell, former MD of Innocent drinks, talking at the Business Well-Being Network Annual Conference about how they coped with their growth spurt.
Posted by Cary Cooper 
