For managers: Do you provide help and support?

Questions for inspiration

Below are some questions that may inspire you to provide help and support for your employees:

• Have any of your employees indicated that they wanted help from you or from colleagues? Did they get it?
• Do your employees listen and support each other?
• Are any employees left out of the collegial community?
• Do you take reports about challenges or problems seriously? How do you contribute to a solution?
• Do any of your employees find it difficult to cope with their tasks alone? Do they lack the necessary qualifications (professional or personal) to carry out their tasks? Or do they feel insecure about taking responsibility for their tasks?
• Do any of your employees find it difficult to deal with rude customers? How do you help them to cope with this?
• Do you have procedures for how employees should deal with violence or threats of violence, shoplifting and robbery?

Here is what you can do

Below is inspiration others have found useful. Find out what works best at your workplace:

• Create a culture that encourages help and support. The culture of the workplace builds on the values, opinions, norms and behaviour among employees and managers. Be aware of the culture in your workplace and of what you can do to improve it.
  
  You can set an example for your employees by keeping to your own values, for example by taking the lead and being a good role model. And you can create a sense of security and openness, and encourage reflection on day-to-day behaviour and practices.
• Provide support when problems arise. Employees must be able to rely on practical and psychological support from managers and colleagues when they experience emotional problems, for example conflicts with customers or situations such as robbery or threats. Clear guidelines for how to deal with complaints and difficult customers help create a sense of security, as do guidelines on how employees should act during and after a robbery.
• Make sure that employees working alone can contact a manager. If your employees are working alone for periods, make sure that they can contact management and colleagues for advice and guidance.
• Hold appraisal interviews. You can use appraisal interviews to discuss an employee’s challenges and how you can help. What expectations does the employee have to the work? What type of support does the employee need in his or her work?
• Give constructive feedback on work and specific tasks. Constructive feedback is when you suggest what an employee can do better in a specific situation. Constructive feedback makes most sense if it’s given immediately after a task has been completed. Feedback should be forward-looking and include solutions. If an employee is not given specific advice and support to change his or her behaviour, this may affect their wellbeing.
• Introduce and instruct. New employees should be properly introduced to the workplace and receive appropriate instruction and training in their tasks. Moreover, they should be clear about what is expected of them.
  
  You can use mentoring schemes in which the new employee, or an employee taking on new tasks, is mentored by an experienced colleague. In this way, they will also know who to go to if challenges arise. Use checklists or other tools to ensure that everyone is given thorough and uniform instruction.
• Have meetings. Staff meetings, joint breaks and regular contact between colleagues and their manager facilitate discussions about work-related matters. A good meeting structure and culture allowing people to talk about professional challenges and allowing managers and colleagues to support one another will contribute to wellbeing.
• Lead by example. To a large extent, you are responsible for establishing the right conditions for good social support. Supporting your employees, giving a helping hand or praising them for a job well done will spread among your employees. Showing support is also taking reports from employees seriously and trying to resolve them. Your example as a manager is vital for how your employees perceive and exercise social support.
  
  General initiatives such as introducing appraisal interviews and organisational changes may require decision-making at a higher level of the company. In this context, you must use the channels available to launch initiatives.