In the mostly uncharted pandemic-induced hybrid home and office work paradigm, keeping employees happy, healthy, and motivated is among the single biggest collective priorities for senior executives. says Vukani Mngxati CEO of Accenture in Africa.
And he says, “Are we in the C-suite is paying enough attention to the issue. Stability, wellbeing, and mental health in the workforce is too often shunted to the margins as daily work pressures and priorities take precedence.”
Mngxati believes the two-year COVID-19 interruption from the established status quo has resulted in employees rethinking their attitude to work- practice and careers; and in many cases are taking a markedly different path to that of their employers and putting their own agenda first.
He says unless corporate leadership swiftly acknowledges these changes, there is a real danger that dissatisfaction will grow with a resultant impact on productivity and profit.
Accenture in South Africa has again taken the number one Top Employer ranking in Professional Services and second position overall in South Africa’s Top Employer Awards 2022.
Mngxati attributes part of the success to actively promoting work/life integration and a focus on self-care via healthy living and mental well-being.
He says while some organisations might regard this approach either as soft or even indulgent, conventional wisdom suggests that a happier and healthier staff will inevitably be more focussed and efficient. There is no magic formula he says to getting this right but revisiting some basic principles is a useful starting point.
Firstly, in a time where work isolation has for many become the norm, company culture needs to be recalibrated where recognition becomes an integral part of daily operation.
Notes Mngxati, “And it’s not just the big picture stuff, it’s making sure that people’s efforts are acknowledged and that managers are aware of changes – positive or negative – in an employee’s life and that support is offered or an intervention activated.”
He also says the pandemic has allowed many staff members to think beyond the confines of their own job scope and develop wider interests and passions. This says Mngxati is something that needs to be encouraged and harnessed in the form of enabling more continuous learning. He says any well-informed staff member will inevitably add more value to a business when it comes to strategy development and problem-solving.
Mngxati says the pandemic has also created for many an environment of isolation and has amplified the need for greater mentorship at all levels of the company.
“This is an aspect of business that is all too often sadly ignored with the poor excuse that work gets in the way. The upshot is you have staff members who can potentially add huge value, but who are not being guided by more experienced hands. It’s a backward-looking company that is not implanting a well-structured mentorship programme with set and measurable targets.”
Mngxati says anecdotal evidence from an array of companies around the world suggests that at any one time up to a quarter of staff are struggling with mental health issues. A key priority he says is to make sure that staff are not alone, and that help is available.
“To that end, managers have a responsibility to make sure those resources are on hand and that this information is widely shared. All department leaders need to be trained in identifying behaviour that is associated with mental health problems including absence; and individuals withdrawing from engagement. Managers also need to realise they are not counsellors but add value by just listening and checking in from time to time.”