How to care for your team at work

With the current cost of living crisis, everyone is feeling the pinch right now and your team is likely to be no exception. During this time, it is vital that you are looking after your team as best as possible, not only for their benefit but also to ensure you are able to retain them within the business. Here are just some of the things you can do to support your team:

Financial

Arguably, the best way that you can support your team during tough times is to increase their pay. However, with costs going up for businesses as well as households this is understandably not always possible. Whether you are able to increase salaries or not, it is vital that employees are paid accurately and on time. The use of payroll software can help with this by automating the process to ensure everyone is paid when they should, allowing staff to manage their ingoings more easily.

As well as salaries, it is wise to review other benefits you currently offer and review whether these are being utilised. Additional benefits such as financial advisory services or private healthcare can be a great perk, however, if they have a poor uptake then it could be wise to redirect the spending here into something more useful. Talk openly to your team to establish what they are likely to use, and any add-ons that would really help them.

Communication

Open and honest communication is very important within a team, especially during hard times. If this is something your team has previously struggled with then it may take some time and encouragement to nurture this type of communication. It may be worth considering some team bonding activities to help with this. Think about what your team would be most receptive to and be sure to ask their opinion on the types of activities they’d like to participate in.

Developing strong relationships within your team should allow everyone to feel comfortable voicing their concerns, whether that be work concerns, money worries, or personal problems. This will in turn allow for greater productivity and overall employee satisfaction.

Flexibility

For many people, flexibility has always been a desired element of a job. This has become even more prevalent since the pandemic. Whether it be working location or working hours, people are now seeking flexibility more than ever before.

If you are able to offer your team more flexibility, consider doing so. Allowing them the option to work from home or adapt their hours to suit their personal needs or preferences will ultimately make their lives easier which in turn should improve their outputs at work.

Ultimately, the best thing you can do to care for your team is to talk to them, find out what it is that they want from their roles and how they feel they can be better supported.