Striking the Balance: Work Efficiency, Performance, and Wellbeing in Australian Workplaces
Shane O'Neill
Award winning Director, HR & HSE Recruitment?? Host of the HR Community Podcast ??Top 5% Recruiter on LinkedIn???
Introduction
Welcome back to another article in our 'Inside our World of HR' series with Shane O'Neill and Civitas Talent, Recruitment, Search and Advisory for the HR & HSE market .
In this article we deep dive into a hot topic on every ELT agenda currently as we pivot through an unpredictable market and economy while remaining 'competitive'. Competitive is the key word here as it relates to you, the employee and to the organisation. It relates to candidates and talent striving for their next opportunity, and organisations looking to attract and retain their talent.
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Finding the balance between work efficiency, high performance, and personal wellbeing is more crucial than ever. While achieving high performance is essential, it should not come at the cost of your physical and mental health. In this article, we will explore strategies for balancing work efficiency and performance while safeguarding your wellbeing and preventing burnout. We will also feature insights and interviews from Human Resources (HR) leaders in our community and hear what they have to say.??
Creating a work environment that prioritises employee wellbeing is paramount. Australian organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of this and are taking proactive measures to foster a healthy workplace culture.
On our latest episode of the HR Community Podcast, we featured Ben Balestrieri and Francine Balestrieri Co-Founders of We - People Considered Together to flesh out the the topic further and talk about the hard truths in balancing workplace efficiency and wellbeing
Francine Balestrieri , who has operated at senior People and Culture level for a range of brands including Diageo , Blackmores Group and Winc Australia talked about 'burnout' and how it can relate to this "meeting culture' we have created. Demands in the workplace are increasing but with less resources. This is contributing to people feeling flat and disengaged.????
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Achieving work efficiency and high performance should be grounded in realistic expectations. Unrealistic demands can lead to burnout and diminished performance over time.
However, unrealistic demands are often a result of 'top down' pressures combined with a culture which does not encourage communication, feedback and collaboration. We talk alot about transforming your company culture in a previous article. Check it out in the link below:
Interview with Ben Balestrieri Co-Founder of We - People Considered Together : "We cannot approach wellbeing with a 'hit and run' approach, we need to keep having conversations with our people. We need to ask them, 'are you ok?'....'but are you really ok?'
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Work-life integration, as opposed to work-life balance, recognises that personal and professional lives are interconnected. HR leaders are promoting this approach to foster greater harmony between work and personal life. HR Leaders are also coaching their business leaders to continue having these types of conversations to integrate personal and professional.
The HR Community Podcast, Ep 17, We People Considered Together, Critical Leadership and Wellbeing ??
Interview with Head of People Experience for a major FMCG brand: "We encourage our employees to blend their personal and professional lives when it makes sense for them. This could mean working from home, adjusting their schedules to accommodate family needs, or taking advantage of our wellness programs. We ask and talk about it. We set the expectations and encourage communication on this. We continue to check in as this type of setup make work for the employee today but not in 6-12 months. We never assume"
Organisations continue to invest in training and development programs to enhance employee skills and competencies. They also offer mental health resources to support their staff. There are numerous wellbeing days and events including 'R U OK Day' but the conversations need to be natural and come with instinct. Your leadership team need to be equipt or feel like they are equipt with the right tools and experience.
For further understanding on best practice leadership, check out our HR Community Podcast with Marie-Claire Ross, GAICD as we discuss "Trust Leadership":
Effective communication is a cornerstone of preventing burnout and maintaining a healthy work environment. HR leaders emphasise the importance of open dialogue between employees and management. We talk about communication and more importantly 'effective communication' in this article and several interviews, podcasts and previous articles.
Communication skills continues to be one of the best practice assets for a strong HR Leader. It can open up conversations, break barriers, build trust and influence - creating a recipe for trust leadership and collaboration.
Interview with Head of HR for a large food manufacturing brand: "We hold regular one-on-one meetings to check in with our employees, address their concerns, and provide constructive feedback. This ensures that everyone feels heard and supported. We listen and take action"
Technology can significantly enhance work efficiency, but it can also contribute to burnout if not managed correctly. There are endless articles roaming the surface that talk about tech related burnout. Francine Balestrieri talked about this 'meeting culture' we have created and it is undoubtably driven by technology which allows us to meet anytime and anywhere. Have you heard of 'zoom fatigue'? - The point of you day and week where you start to be come physically and mentally exhausted from your virtual meetings. This article is not a debate of working in the office or not but are there benefits for both when we talk about wellbeing and the ability to manage tech burnout more efficiently?
In one of our HR leadership interviews with Leanne Lang ,current CHRO at KinCare , we talked about having a 'Wellbeing Champion' to facilitate and manage your agenda when it come to your employees wellbeing. Is Technology part of your agenda? Do you have a Wellbeing Champion in your teams or business? Keep having the conversations and keep aiming to improve the balance between work efficiency and wellbeing.
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Balancing work efficiency and high performance with personal wellbeing is an ongoing journey, and Australian workplaces are making strides in this direction. But, there is still so much more that can be done. We are in a fairly volatile economic climate at the moment and HR leaders are feeling the pressure in their businesses to drive performance while ensuring there is a wellbeing agenda in place. Interest rates, costs of living and external factors play a pivotal role in creating further stress and anxiety for people, especially those who are starting to feel that performance and efficiency are higher motivators for organisations versus employee wellbeing.
By fostering healthy workplace cultures, setting realistic expectations, promoting work-life integration, investing in employee development, encouraging open communication, and using technology wisely, we should continue to realign the balance with efficiency and wellbeing,
By adopting these strategies and learning from the experiences of Australian organisations and leaders, employees can thrive in their careers while safeguarding their mental and physical health, ultimately contributing to a more productive and sustainable work environment for all.
For further thoughts and discussion on this please reach out to Shane O'Neill and the Civitas Talent, Recruitment, Search and Advisory for the HR & HSE market team.