Many employees are on the cusp of burnout. As an employer, it is advisable to take notice of changes in your staff’s behaviour. If they are frequently absent, demotivated, negative, cynical, anxious, or no longer producing high-quality work they did before, they may need professional help.
It doesn’t matter what side of the table you’re on, having counselling in the workplace will have positive outcomes, especially in current times where both employers and their staff are under constant stress.
An employer that offers assistance to its staff through counselling will gain a reputation as being a company that cares about its employees. In the words of Sir Richard Branson, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
Three questions beg: What makes a good workplace counsellor? What are the benefits of workplace counselling for staff? What are the advantages of workplace counselling for business owners?
Traits of a Workplace Counsellor
Counsellors within the workplace need to be trained professionals: empathic listeners, understanding, objective, respectful, and trustworthy. The workplace counselling at Bristol Counselling and Psychotherapy team possesses all these characteristics and more. A member of staff who visits a counsellor provided by their employer may feel that what they share may not be held in confidence, but therapists are bound to keep information private.
Benefits for Staff
Ask anyone who is gainfully employed if they’re more stressed now than they were eighteen months ago, and they’ll likely reply in the affirmative. Employers have greater expectations from every member of their team, resulting in employees sometimes unable to think linearly, cope effectively, or be creative. Having access to a workplace counsellor can address these issues in a safe, non-judgemental environment.
Workplace counsellors will equip your employees to better understand themselves, particularly because they are not the same workers they were before Covid-19 arrived, and changed workplace dynamics. As employees gain increased insight of themselves, they are likely to begin approaching challenges with a positive perspective, and innovative solutions.
Advantages for Employers
Many employers have an open door policy. They encourage their employees to take a seat and discuss issues both in the workplace or at home that may be affecting their work performance adversely. This is an excellent outlook, but not always effective, because the employer may not be equipped to deal with situations of a sensitive nature. A workplace counsellor is trained to analyse all kinds of scenarios and come to the table with solutions that will help the employee manage their circumstances while still being able to deliver high-quality work. In itself, better productivity within the entire team will increase the company’s profit margins.
In instances where employees are exhibiting negative, destructive behaviour, a workplace counsellor can be consulted to assist the employees in changing their conduct, so that they can be an active, positive member of the team.
It is clear from the points above that workplace counselling is a win-win for both employers and employees, so why not implement it at your place of business?