Look after your employees; Employees will look after you : The Holistic Approach of Human Development
Figure 01
In olden days "workplace" meant a place where you arrived, checked your personal life at the door, reported for duty, worked your shift, and then checked it all back at the door before leaving. This had been inculcated within the organizational cultures starting from the management to the employees. These cultures lead to talk more and more about “Work Life Balance” for many years. But how could work exist without life? How could one clearly explain the balancing of two elements which are already overlapped?
One might sense some distance from the organization, where you simply did your duty without any emotional bonding or a feeling a sense of connection to it. Lack of loyalty, decline of productivity, inefficiency could be resulted with this distance between employees and the organization. On the other hand disengaged workers who are unhappy in their positions and feel cut off from their work can lead to serious issues at work. They not only perform poorly, but they also cause conflict among high performers.
Identifying the need to change…
- Environment's uncertainty characterized by constrained growth
- Economic and social unrest
- Dispersed work activities
- Climate change
- Complex and unstable organizational structures
Figure 02
In the 1980s, a significant trend towards holistic HR strategies first materialized. Important stakeholders increasingly demand higher corporate social responsibility compared to the conventional strategy. As a result, respecting the interests and maintaining connections with all internal and external stakeholders are now expected.
It is important to note that there are numerous programs in existence right now to assist employees in balancing the demands of work and home.(Secord, 2003.)
Say No to Change ?
Consequences of not having a wider interest of employee well-being
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- Negative impact on employee performance and mental health
- Increase in sick leave and healthcare costs
- Decline in employee’s physical fitness
- Higher turnover
- Higher recruitment costs
Figure 03
Holistic Approach in HRM
Holistic approach is centered on this change toward understanding and valuing what individuals are going through both inside and outside of the office. Each employee should have the impression that HR recognizes them, cares about them, and is "with" them - prepared to assist, support, and develop them as necessary, recognizing the many values held by their personnel.
Physical Development
Physical health is influenced by their level of energy, activity level, sleep habits, nutrition, and exercise regimen. These factors, along with their workload and working environment, can all have a significant impact.
Any employer should offer the following if they want to have contented, productive workers, higher retention rates, and lower medical costs:
- Heathy dining environment
- Physical well-being pursuits
- Reasonable work hours
Figure 05 :
Mental development:
Taking care of employees' mental health is crucial for the success of any business. An estimated 12 billion working days are lost annually due to depression and anxiety worldwide, costing US$ 1 trillion in lost productivity, according to a WHO research.
Employer may reduce dangers, safeguard and advance workplace mental health by giving:
- Possibilities to build relationships in a welcoming environment
- standardized procedures
- Employee support for those with mental health issues
- Wellness education
Emotional Development
Ensuring that employee health is improved at work, organizations could support the development of an inclusive workplace where mental illnesses are not a problem. They have assistance.
Why businesses needs a holistic HR strategy?
Employees of an organization are not just a set of task achievers or the success factor of the organization. It is crucial to foster an environment where your employees may flourish, grow, and develop on both a professional and personal level.
Human Resource studies have identified the importance of nurturing and development of an intellectually engaging atmosphere in which employees are driven to go above and beyond for not only themselves but also the firm.
- Demand for flexible and fulfilling work-life balance
- High turnover rates /difficulty in filling open positions
- When an organization look at it’s employees' general wellness, They're more likely to have employees who are more engaged, productive, and collaborative.
It is easy to be a great employee when you are at your best.
It's Time to Create Professional Part-time Working Mom Opportunities | Suzanne Brown | TEDxSMUWomen
-Benefits of holistic HR strategies
- Cost-effectiveness and recruitment budget savings
Without doubt motivation plays a crucial part of HR strategy. HR will be fostering the employees’ development and investing in them while encouraging them to remain with the organization. And since your turnover and attrition rates will be lower with a holistic HR strategy, you’ll save on recruitment costs by enhancing your existing employees’ experiences and nurturing them.
- Increase in employee productivity
- Easier new hire recruitment
Prospective employees appears to be more concerned with life-work balance, wellness possibilities, adequate training, and development than merely a salary.
- Higher retention rates
- Minimized health risks
By integrating holistic approaches and programs, you can lower health risks, increase employee adoption of healthy behaviors (such as eating properly, exercising, taking time off, and winding down after work), lower health care expenses, and increase productivity.
- Stronger employee relationships
- Inclusive work culture and environment
Ensuring that employee health is improved at work, organizations could support the development of an inclusive workplace where mental illnesses are not a problem. They have assistance. Because of this, it is much simpler to recruit and keep personnel who will have equal opportunity to use their professional experience.
How well-being improves performance: An interview with Annastiina Hintsa February 22, 2021 | Interview
References:
- Tonkin, K., Malinen, S., Näswall, K. and Kuntz, J.C., 2018. Building employee resilience through wellbeing in organizations. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 29(2), pp.107-124.
- Lee, Monica. (2007). Human Resource Development from a Holistic Perspective. Advances in Developing Human Resources. 9. 97-110. 10.1177/1523422306294498. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249631441_Human_Resource_Development_from_a_Holistic_Perspective (Accessed 13 August 2023)
- Vernon G. Zunker.(2016) Career Counseling : A Holistic Approach 9th edition
- Timms, P. Transformational HR. 1st edn. Kogan Page. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/book/1015393/transformational-hr-how-human-resources-can-create-value-and-impact-business-strategy-pdf (Accessed: 10 August 2023)
- The 6 most effective employee engagement strategies. 2016. Available at : https://www.efrontlearning.com/blog/2016/10/6-effective-employee-engagement-strategies.html. (Accessed: 30 July 2023)
- Secord, H., 2003. Implementing best practices in human resources management. CCH Canadian Limited. ( Accessed: https://books.google.lk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wM1zN-2jNzQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=Hugh+Secord+(2003)+Implementing+best+practices+in+Human+Resource+Management.&ots=CKzf-8Xt_O&sig=mPFn04YA7LoixvYfX3RfGSxthjM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Hugh%20Secord%20(2003)%20Implementing%20best%20practices%20in%20Human%20Resource%20Management.&f=false (Accessed: 04 August 2023)
- Employee Wellbeing: Guide to Engaged and Adaptive Workforce by David Rice 19/04/2021 Accessed: https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/employee-engagement/articles/employee-wellbeing-hrs-guide-to-an-engaged-and-adaptive-workforce (Accessed: 04 August 2023)
- Hall, D.T. and Richter, J., 1988. Balancing work life and home life: What can organizations do to help?. Academy of Management Perspectives, 2(3), pp.213-223. Accessed: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4164832?oauth_data=eyJlbWFpbCI6ImF5b2RoeWEuYWdAZ21haWwuY29tIiwiaW5zdGl0dXRpb25JZHMiOltdLCJwcm92aWRlciI6Imdvb2dsZSJ9 (Accessed: 09 August 2023)
- Oswald, Andrew J. , Proto, Eugenio and Sgroi, Daniel. (2015) Happiness and productivity. Journal of Labor Economics, 33 (4). pp. 789-822.
- Top 15 HR Challenges in 2023(+Solutions) by Disha Guptha 18-10-2022 Accessed https://whatfix.com/blog/hr-challenges/(Accessed: 09 August 2023)
structured well article, from the nature of old work place, changes do needed, n holistic view been tried in HRD of stephen R. corey.
ReplyDeleteSimply put, holistic development is the social, emotional, physical, mental, and intellectual growth of a person.
ReplyDeleteEmployee well-being is definitely emphasized in the current IHRM. It affects the efficient progress of the organization.
ReplyDeleteEmployee well-being is a essential topic that HRM should focus on. Mental well being, physical well being and financial well being are among them. HRM strategies should align with these requirements which leads to motivate and creare loyal employee base in the organization.
ReplyDeleteEmployee’s well-being is one of the main secret of organizational growth.
ReplyDeleteThis ethos embodies a holistic approach to human development in organizations. When employers prioritize well-being, growth, and satisfaction, employees reciprocate with dedication and enhanced performance, fostering a symbiotic relationship that fuels overall success.
ReplyDeleteThis approach recognizes that employees are not just cogs in a machine, but are complex individuals with a variety of needs and interests
ReplyDeleteIt is influenced by a variety of circumstances, including their relationships with coworkers, their decisions, and the tools and resources available to them.
ReplyDelete