Employees are the backbone of every business. Motivated and engaged employees are more valuable than burnt-out, disenfranchised teams. However, if you’ve been in the human resources world for any length of time, you’ll know that creating a happy, healthy workforce is easier said than done.

Maximize your chance of building motivated, talented teams by creating a nourishing workspace. A productive, safe, and intentional work environment can support productivity, minimize waste, and help staff achieve their goals. This is deeply rewarding for employees across all departments and can help people find fulfillment in their work.

Intentional Workspaces

Most workplaces feature similar office layouts that divide teams using rows of desks and wheely chairs. While this setup may have worked well in the early 2000s, today’s competitive work environment requires greater collaboration and creativity.

Design principles play a central role in supporting diversity, collaboration, and equity. Revising the workplace to embrace collaboration can improve equity at work and increase teams’ agility, too. This is key today when market pressures and global conflict have forced businesses to take a more proactive, flexible approach to decision-making.

Zoning gives employees a personal, private space to work while ensuring that teams are still able to connect with others when needed. A zonal approach relies heavily on open floor planning and will need to be supported by well-equipped workstations.

Remember to set aside some space for private meetings and enclosed areas. Employees don’t always need to collaborate on every project and many will benefit from private workstations. Facilitate productivity in these spaces by setting them far apart from collaborative areas that may be noisy and distracting. If possible, enclose this private workspace and provide employees with cubicle-style workstations of their own. This helps employees establish a routine and may minimize stress in the workplace.

Minimizing Stress

Chronic stress will sap the work out of your workday and increase turnover at your company. High rates of stress can undermine an employee’s work-life balance and force people to work overtime when they should be resting and relaxing at home.

Take a proactive approach to stress management at work by regularly gathering feedback from employees. Keep track of their performance paperwork and take note when staff say they are feeling the heat. Gathering feedback in this way can help HR pinpoint the cause of stress at work and help to make strategic changes to minimize work-related anxiety.

Connecting with employees who are overworked and stressed can help you identify opportunities for improvement, too. For example, you may find that newly promoted employees struggle to adapt to their new role in management as they do not have the skills to lead (yet!). Rather than punishing underperforming, burnt-out employees, invest in corporate training programs that give teams the tools they need to succeed. Other stress-busting benefits of continuous learning include:

• Improved Retention: Hiring and firing new staff is stressful for everyone. Boost retention by offering routine learning opportunities that help maintain top talent and equip staff with the skills they need to find career success.
• Fill Skill Gaps: The world of work is constantly changing. Help teams meet today’s challenges with confidence by investing in skills related to trends like AI, virtual reality, and remote management.
• Improve Safety: Staff who feel unsafe at work are sure to feel stressed and will jump ship at the first available opportunity. Provide learning opportunities to help employees follow best practices and improve compliance at your place of work.

Investing in continuous learning shows staff that you care. This is key if you want to gain a reputation as a progressive, supportive employer in your local area. Employees who are well-trained and highly skilled are more likely to engage in teamwork opportunities, too.

Promoting Teamwork

Collaboration is king in our increasingly digital world. As a HR professional, you can promote teamwork and improve collaboration at your place of work by setting up outdoor team-building events. Outdoor events are better than indoor alternatives, as outdoor team-building events give employees a chance to destress and connect in a low-stakes, natural environment. Spending time together as a team outdoors can improve the mood of employees and help them create connections in a different environment.

When searching for team-building activities, look for engaging events that incentivize employees to work together to solve a common challenge. Consider activities like geocaching or community clean-ups that are engaging and give everyone a chance to succeed while working as part of a team. Just be sure to survey staff beforehand to ensure that your chosen activity is appropriate for everyone’s needs.

Boosting Sustainability

Fostering a sustainable workplace culture is a great way to create an intentional, purpose-driven environment. HR can lead the way by introducing eco-friendly initiatives that not only benefit the planet but also boost employee morale. Simple changes, like encouraging energy-saving practices or reducing waste, can make employees feel like they’re contributing to a larger, positive impact. These small steps can have a big influence on how people view their role within the company.

Sustainability is about integrating green practices into everyday operations. It’s more than just having recycling bins—it’s about making conscious choices that align with the company’s values. By embedding sustainability into the workplace culture, HR can help create an environment where employees feel more connected to both the company’s mission and their own contributions.

Conclusion

Creating a nourishing work environment should be a top priority as an HR professional. Get the ball rolling by redesigning your workspace to increase productivity, facilitate collaboration, and minimize distractions. Connected with staff every few weeks to learn about their stressors and make strategic changes based on their feedback. This can help you address skill gaps, improve retention, and help to build a healthier, happier workplace.

Guest writer.