A Compassionate Workplace – A Mantra that Propagates Employee Well-being Towards Organisational Success

Article Date | 12 February, 2024

 

By Hina Junejo, DET Lecturer, LSST Birmingham campus

 

In today’s dynamic and competitive business environment, organisations choosing compassionate approaches are being identified as those with a leading edge. A compassionate workplace is not a buzzword but a necessity for any organisation to foster the well-being of an employee, build greater productivity and create a strong organisational culture. In this blog, we will discuss the role compassion plays at work, how it interacts with several factors of employee satisfaction and its alignment with Maslow’s hierarchy.

 

The Core of Compassion at Work

Compassion in the workplace is, therefore, all about that culture where workers and their leaders portray empathy, kindness, and understanding to one another. It is about appreciating workers’ humanity and treating them as whole beings rather than conduits of success for achieving the company’s objectives.

 

Link to Employee Productivity

Compassion and productivity are two linked together. When an employee feels valued, and feel that they do matter, then they will be motivated and inspired to put in their best. A compassionate workplace lowers stress which can quite often harm employee productivity. This creates an environment whereby the employees will feel free to concentrate on what is expected of them because their welfare counts to the organisation.

 

Sense of Belonging and Safety

Compassion also relates to the sense of belonging and safety, elements critical for the employees to excel in the organisation. These needs have been identified as basic psychological needs by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Employees will stay in organisations that promote feelings of security and placement value merely for the indulgence and progression of their role, thereby continuing to reduce turnover dismal rates and repercussions within an organisation.

 

The Psychological Contract

The psychological contract between the employee and the organisation is a feeling of mutual expectations and obligations as an unwritten bond. A compassionate workplace thus holds a positive psychological contract. It means that employees feel that they are cared for by the organisation in terms of personal growth, development, and overall satisfaction. They are more engaged and hence, committed towards work.

 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s model of needs creates a strong platform for recognising the importance of compassion in workplaces. At the fundamental level are the physiological and safety needs which the individual needs to actualise. Hence in a compassionate workplace, the employers are assured that their employees have had their physiological and safety needs provided for, creating a foundation upon which they can strive to actualise belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation.

 

 

Best Practices to Create Compassionate Organisations

1. Lead by Example: The influence of compassion must begin exactly at the top. Leaders should bear an example of compassionate behaviour showing empathy in understanding their subordinates.

2. Open Communication: Create channels for open and honest communication. Encourage employees to make their concerns and ideas known without the fear of any recrimination.

3. Training and Development: Invest in programs that will enable the employees and leaders in your organisation to develop emotional intelligence and empathy.

4. Flexibility: Provide work arrangements that are flexible and can be fit to meet all sorts of differing needs and challenges of your employees.

5. Recognition and Appreciation: Regularly recognise and appreciate every employee’s effort and achievement. Efforts such as positive feedback, awards, or recognition certificates assist in boosting employee morale, help increase self-esteem, and positively reinforce the sense of belonging.

6. Mental Health Support: Provide employees with mental health resources and mechanisms to support them. An organisation with empathy does not simply understand that it is more related to their employee rather than physical health.

 

Happy Employees are the Best Brand Ambassadors

When the employees are content and engaged, they become the most authentic ambassadors of an organisation. Naturally then, their positive experience and satisfaction would naturally translate into their promoting the brand and culture of the organisation to the outside world. Happy employees, therefore, do not just perform better but also become ambassadors to bring in new talent to the company.

So, a sympathetic workplace is not a luxury but a necessity for those organisations who want to flourish in today’s business world. Compassion is intrinsically associated with employee productivity, sense of belonging, safety and psychological contract. If organisations have best practices for compassion, they could cultivate an atmosphere wherein happy employees are intrinsically probable for a progressive vanguard of success and growth.