Workplace wellness in IT service companies: How to establish a good atmosphere?

Working in a good environment is one of the crucial conditions for talent loyalty and workplace wellness in IT service companies. How to establish a good work atmosphere? A happy and thriving collaborator will be more attached to your structure.

You know it! At BoondManager, we never get bored! In this article, we will share with you the different approaches for creating an environment proper to collective success, in a healthy, stimulating and enjoyable environment.

Workplace wellness: Favor communication and transparency

Communication is without any doubt one of the fundamental pillars of a great work environment. Exchange between colleagues and managers must be easy and encouraged to favor workplace wellness. A collaborator who feels free to express their ideas, preoccupations and suggestions will naturally be more engaged and invested in their work.

To favor this communication, it might interesting to put in place dedicated messaging service, and collaborative platforms to easily share ideas and work. Especially when the consultant has an intervention at the client’s company and therefore, less contact with their teams.

All types of communications must be encouraged whether they are personal or professional matters. This can also be internal communication. For example, at BoondManager, we have elaborated an internal radio with weekly flash news which summarizes people’s professional and personal news in the company.

Transparency is also very essential in workplace wellness in order to reinforce trust within teams. Regularly sharing information concerning the company, such as short-term or long-term goals or global strategy, allows your collaborators to better understand their roles within your company. This way, they can further grasp their impact on your company’s global success.

Think Feedback culture

In this perspective of open communication, it is also important to establish constructive feedback culture. Regularly discussing on the performed work allows everyone to, not only, quickly identify areas of improvement but also adds value to performed work.

This can be, for example, accomplished through regular individual interviews between an employee and their manager where everyone can give and receive positive, as well as negative, feedback in a caring environment. Furthermore, encouraging feedback between peers can also contribute to constantly improving internal processes and optimizing the feeling of workplace wellness.

Workplace wellness: Organize your team-building activities

We cannot talk about having a good work environment without mentioning team-building activities! These are ideal to reinforce the relationship between colleagues and favors a strong team spirit.

These activities can take different forms: sport activities, creative workshops, themed parties… The key is for them to all be friendly and to favor sharing in another context that isn’t professional. For example, planning a rafting trip or a cooking workshop can be an excellent way to improve team spirit while having a great time outside of a professional context.

Don’t forget virtual team-building!

With the increase of remote work in the past years, it also becomes crucial to consider virtual team-building. From online quizzes to virtual escape games or even digital creative workshops: these events allow your remote teams to improve their relationships despite the distance.

The use of dedicated apps can make these moments even more interactive. You can find all sorts of applications offering, for example, online collaborative games that can be played altogether during a planned informal virtual meeting. At Boond, we absolutely love playing Skribbl.io, for example.

Provide an enjoyable work environment

An enjoyable work environment greatly contributes to a great work atmosphere. Make sure that your office rooms are clean, well-lit and ventilated. Friendly common areas, such as an equipped break room or an outdoor green space, will increase informal discussions between employees and will contribute to improving the sense of belonging when it comes to working in an IT service company. Researches show that a clean and organized environment can increase productivity up to 25%.

Aim for a participatory process and solicit your collaborators’ opinions

Don’t hesitate to solicit your employees’ opinion on their work environment: they most often have concrete ideas to improve it! Involving employees in such decisions will increase their engagement towards the company. For example, you can organize an anonymous survey or organize a participative workshop dedicated to improvement suggestions.

For better workplace wellness, add value to your teams!

Appreciation is a powerful motivation tool. Regularly acknowledge your collaborators’ provided efforts. This will prove to them that their work is appreciated and that they have a real impact on the success of your IT service company. This appreciation can also take different forms: public congratulations, symbolic rewards, special bonus etc…

Share a positive attitude

Encourage positive feedback between colleagues. This will contribute to creating a corporate culture where everyone feels validated for their work. Positive feedback between colleagues can be as simple as a compliment during a team meeting or through an online anonymous system.

Don’t forget to also share your satisfied clients’ positive feedback! You could, for example, choose to display them in your office walls or on your internal message service.

To stimulate a good atmosphere within an IT service company, it is important that each employee feels acknowledged for their contribution to the company. Implement a system that allows you to regularly acknowledge everyone’s accomplished work. For example, organize informal ceremonies where you give rewards to employees who achieved excellence in their respective departments.

Cultivate mutual appreciation

This will not only encourage those who were acknowledged but also those who see their colleagues be acknowledged. This is how you can cultivate an environment where everyone feels validated. Simple actions such as sharing individual achievements during team meetings can create a positive culture based on mutual appreciation.

It is important to recall that work atmosphere in a company depends on many factors and it is therefore crucial to take into consideration the needs and expectations of everyone to adapt your actions accordingly. It is also very crucial to favor an environment of trust and transparency in order to prevent tension and misunderstandings.

Workplace wellness: Aim for balance between private life and work life.

Favoring a good balance between private and professional life is essential for maintaining a good work environment within an IT service company. Make sure to respect your employees’ personal time. Try not to have late meetings or working on weekends. Suggest flexible solutions, such as remote work or adaptable schedules.

Think flexibility

Introducing flexible policies can greatly contribute to improving work-life balance. Flexible planning of working time, remote work or paid leaves are options that allow your employees to adapt their schedules depending on their personal needs.

However, it is essential that these policies are clearly defined and communicated with all staff members. Good communication will prevent all misunderstandings or excessive use.

Encourage a healthy corporate culture

Promoting a healthy corporate culture is another efficient way to favor a great work-life balance. Encourage your collaborators to take breaks and disconnect from work on weekends. Suggest activities that increase relaxation as well as team cohesion.

Maintaining your healthy corporate culture is also respecting everyone’s free time and adding value to work quality rather than focusing on the hours spent at work. Furthermore, it could be very beneficial to introduce workplace wellness programs to help your employees with managing stress.

Don’t forget relaxation

These measures will allow your employees to feel more relaxed in their work as they’ll know they can properly take care of their private lives. Also think of regularly organizing relaxing activities within the office, such as yoga classes, meditation or even simple coffee breaks to decompress.