Workplace stress is defined as “the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.” Stress is inevitable and affects nearly everyone at some point in their life. However, in the workplace, stress can depreciate productivity and have an effect on employee well-being.
As new generations continue to enter the workforce, the ability for businesses to manage stress has become increasingly important. In a growing multi-generational workforce, each generation handles stress differently. In recent years, a number of studies show that job stress is by far the most prominent source of stress for American adults, only increasing over the past few decades. However, the job shouldn’t always be to blame. Some individuals thrive in an environment that is fast-paced and require their employees to be agile. For others, demands such as tight deadlines and high-stakes projects can be stress-inducing. While the cause of stress shouldn’t matter, it is important for businesses to make it a top priority. In this blog post, we will discuss the challenges businesses are facing as new generations approach the workforce, which can affect communication styles, training methods and increased transparency.
Encourage regular check-ins with managers
While all adults struggle with stress, each generation takes a different approach to manage their stress. For businesses, one of the main causes of stress is communication. It is important for businesses to adapt their communication styles to help eliminate the possibility of stress. For managers, in particular, it is important to schedule regular check-ins with employees. With the advancement in technology as well as the increase of workplace collaboration tools that have hit the market, many companies have relied on tools such as Slack to communicate with their employees.
For younger generations who grew up in the technological age, many find these tools to help increase productivity and be more efficient. However, before this type of technology was introduced, baby boomers had grown accustomed to face-to-face interactions. When looking to implement these types of tools into your organization, it is important to choose solutions that can still help achieve your goal and minimize possible disruption.
Also, the millennial generation is one that thrives on productive coaching rather than firm authority. Millennials want to be in constant contact with their managers and actively receiving feedback, whereas other generations were happy with an annual review. Additionally, with millennials, managers should utilize technology as they are more in-tune with devices.
Transfer of knowledge
As baby boomers make their way out of the workforce and Gen Z quickly takes their place, training and development should be a key area of focus for businesses. Training and development programs can be used to onboard new employees as well as give current employees an opportunity to expand their knowledge or improve their skills. While agile learning and gamification methods have become increasingly popular, organizations shouldn’t forget about a resource that may be underutilized.
With more and more baby boomers retiring every year, many organizations forget that it’s the people within their organization that hold key knowledge. One-to-one and group mentoring is an extremely effective way to train younger employees to help increase job, company and industry knowledge. While technology is extremely helpful with efficiency, having a veteran employee speak during a training session can be just as — if not more — beneficial.
Implementing wellness programs
Stress can oftentimes lead to a multitude of problems in the workplace, and if left unchecked, can contribute to many health problems. Wellness programs can promote worker well-being through health education, weight management programs and other health-centered opportunities. By promoting a culture of wellness, it can help employees of all ages live their happiest and healthiest life.
For millennials, many are seeking companies that take an interest in their health and well-being. By encouraging employees to take advantage of flexible working hours, mental health days and fitness reimbursement, organizations are more likely to attract top talent. Other generations who entered the workforce without these types of perks are beginning to see the benefits as well. This persuasive lifestyle shift has increased Generation Y and baby boomers to lead a healthier and active life.
Stress can cause a tremendous amount of problems in the workplace. It is important for companies to be aware of how their employees handle stress — no matter their generation — and provide them the proper resources. By encouraging regular check-ins with managers, creating insightful training and development programs, and implementing wellness programs, organizations of every shape and size can limit stress in the workplace and create healthier, happier employees.
To learn more about creating a culture centered around wellness, check out our blog post on 5 Reasons to Implement a Wellness Program!
Recent Comments