H1 Healthcare started 20 years ago as a family-run business and has continued to stay as a family-run business to this day. We see all those who join H1 Healthcare as part of the H1 Family and want to make sure that each and every person feels like they belong.
In this article, we shall discuss the importance of feeling like you belong in a company.
What it means to belong
Belonging gives us a sense of purpose and security. We all want to be welcomed and feel happy in our workplace. If we feel happy and welcomed, we are more likely to be our authentic selves and perform better at our job. This is incredibly important in healthcare. It could be said that feeling like we belong is essential for bringing out the best in people.
As an employee we want to feel connected, respected and like we are part of something bigger. H1 Healthcare provides constant communication through our Regional Managers, email and text communications. They want their employees to feel like they belong and can share their thoughts and feedback to help improve the employee experience.
Health benefits
A feeling of belonging actually has various health benefits which may not be obvious. For example, a sense of belonging means we feel happy and comfortable in our roles. It gives us a sense of purpose. Without a sense of belonging or purpose are likely to feel more insecure, anxious and stressed. That insecurity will dwindle their performance and ability. Belonging helps manage this stress and anxiety.
Feeling like we belong is crucial for life satisfaction, happiness, mental and physical health and provides longevity. This also means that we sleep better and look after ourselves better. This keeps us motivated and keeps our awareness and reflexes sharp for any unexpected incidents that may happen whilst working in care. Being mentally healthy and happy also means we are less likely to have emotional outbursts and can more easily provide empathy to those who need our support.
Feeling valued
Belonging is not all about feeling appreciated, it’s more than that. Belonging is about feeling valued. Feeling valued can mean various things. One way an employee can feel valued is when an Employer simply values an employee’s identity such as race, gender, sexual orientation or physical ability. In this case, feeling valued is related to inclusion and diversity, which is incredibly important. It is about understanding and accepting different people with different personalities and making sure that the workplace and management encourage that diversity.
Another way that feeling valued can be achieved is through simply having a branded uniform. A branded uniform gives employees a sense of loyalty and unity because all other employees are in the same uniform, making them proud to be an employee as they are representing the company. They are the face of the company.
What can Employers do to help create a sense of belonging?
Employers have a responsibility to create and maintain this sense of belonging for employees. There are several ways this can be done including providing good and regular communication on upcoming news and events, competitions and feedback. It is also important to make sure that everyone is included within these communications and that nobody is left out as this will make people feel excluded as opposed to being included. H1 Healthcare provides monthly newsletters, competitions and feedback emails to keep our staff up-to-date and aware of what is going on within the company.
When mentioning regular communication to get feedback, asking staff for their opinion and feedback helps to improve the company really and helps create a sense of belonging. It shows that the company values our opinion and wants to change and improve it to make our experience with them better. H1 Healthcare sends out requests for feedback via email regularly and really values the feedback that our staff provide. It allows H1 Healthcare to know the direction to move in to support its staff.
On top of that, a company that shares staff stories helps the staff build social identity. It puts staff in the spotlight and keeps them as the face of the company across their website and social media, which is quite often the first impression of a company that people get.
Finally, a company that has great benefits and incentives makes the staff feel like they have been invested in. When staff are invested in, they will invest in the company and do the best they can do in their role. Benefits such as training and career development also make staff feel valued and like they belong as they are learning a new skill and developing themselves. They may also take on more responsibility and challenges. This can show a person’s ability to adapt and engage with new responsibilities and challenges, and shows positive growth within a person.
Every company has the ability to create a feeling of belonging and there is no excuse not to.
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H1 Healthcare is Family.