Hi everyone,
Today's episode is all about employee wellness. But, before we jump into what our two lovely guest speakers have to say, I'd like to share with you my tips and tricks on how I balance my work, life and mental life personally.
I realized that if there's ever a time where I can have the most control over the different variables of my life, it's when I don't have to leave my house! On days when I'm working from home, I always change out of my pajamas first (to get me out of the "at home" mindset) then I make my bed (to get me into the "get things done" mindset). I then go about my schedule for the day with clear boundaries around work, cooking, working out, and sleep.
But enough about me - the big news in the MENA startup ecosystem last week was Tarabut Gateway's announcement of its $13 million Seed round, which marks the biggest investment made at Seed stage for any MENA-based startup. The startup is actually Bahrain-based and was founded by a local Bahraini (Abdulla Almoayed) - and so, naturally, I'm waving my Bahrain flag proudly here in support for my home country's local talent
In our latest episode, we sit down with Ben Safra and Mila Nehme who are co-founders of Sensate. Ben & Mila are seasoned retail and customer experience professionals with a demonstrated history of working within the international luxury goods and jewelry industry. Ben has worked with powerhouses in the industry such as LV, Burberry, D&G, Tiffany & Co, Carolina Herrera, and Selfridges, whilst Mila has worked with Burberry and Cartier.
Together we discuss:
Reasons to engage with your employees
Initiatives to improve employee wellbeing
The role that interiors have on employee creativity
Employees are internal clients of any business, whilst customers are external clients
Businesses should help their employees to help their customers. When employees are satisfied with their job, they increase levels of productivity, engagement, and loyalty towards their company and its external clients. So, if you care about customer satisfaction (and why wouldn't you?!), treat your employees how you want them to treat your customers.
Treat your employees how you want to treat your customers.
In most corporations, the Human Resources (HR) department takes ownership to ensure that employees are engaged. However, big tech companies like Google and Microsoft dedicate specific departments for employee engagement. These departments are often dubbed with the words "Happiness" or "Engagement" and given dedicated budgets to run focused initiatives.
Wellness programs can be run online to ensure that support is extended to employees despite a remote-working situation
Working from home doesn't mean that employees are alone. Companies can leverage technology to extend communication to employees remotely. Though this may sound obvious, companies seem to be focusing only on scheduling work-focused meetings instead of wellness-focused ones. Examples of some wellness initiatives that can be executed online include physical activity sessions (e.g. yoga) or educational seminars (e.g. stress management tips). Extended or grouped initiatives can even be treated as "online retreats".
Working from home doesn't mean that employees are alone
Don't forget to provide wellness initiatives frequently, though, to ensure that employee motivation levels remain consistent!
Workplace design serves as more than just pretty interiors - it actually inspires creative minds
Whether you're working from home or at the office, having a dedicated workplace that inspires you can make a big difference. With small changes like a cleaner workplace or more brightly lit areas, employees can lean on their environment for inspiration. So, get decorating!
Until next time,
Shereen