“A workplace where you can laugh and joke about the challenges of everyday life is a much more upbeat, creative place to recharge your batteries,” says organisational development specialist Dr Robin Youngson. As an internationally recognised consultant to the WHO, his views are reflected in UC Hire Lab’s recruitment work, and in conjunction with World Workplace Health Day, we are also keen to share what we believe will be the key attributes of a truly great workplace in 2024.
Startups are no longer the only ones with a foosball table
The importance of the issue is reflected in the fact that well-being at work is no longer just a priority for trendy 21st century companies – typically IT firms, start-ups and Western-headquartered multinationals – but is also a growing concern for government actors. The National Centre for Public Health (NNGYK), for example, provides companies with specific recommendations on workplace health promotion, as employers can actively help their employees to lead healthier lifestyles. There is no question that finding and maintaining a work-life balance is crucial to wellbeing, but it is also important to know what conditions and opportunities companies offer for work itself. “At UC Hire Lab, we find that year after year, the atmosphere at work is more important to employees than salary, and regular engagement surveys show that our company’s satisfaction indicators confirm the effectiveness of our activities in this area. We are happy to see that our partners also prioritise this issue, and it is no longer just cool start-ups that have a foosball table as a symbol of well-being at work,” says László Melovits, CEO of UC Hire Lab.
Key worker needs in 2024
We are living through a period of drastic rethinking about the needs of the global workforce. Employers need to adapt to these challenges in order to remain attractive to talented people and to foster long-term employee engagement. There are three key areas, beyond financial reward of course, that are worth mentioning in the context of the ever-changing dynamics of the labour market:
- working hours that are mutually convenient for the company and the employee,
- the working conditions
- and the technological background needed for the work.
Employees now value not only the opportunity to work from home, but also a work schedule that allows them to achieve a harmonious work-life balance. Well-being at work is a priority: employees expect the workplace to be not only a place where tasks are performed, but also a supportive, pleasant environment that takes into account their mental, physical and emotional well-being. In the wake of the digitalisation explosion triggered by the covide-epidemic, technology integration is becoming increasingly important: employees rightly expect companies to support productivity with modern tools and efficient systems, and to facilitate collaboration without physical boundaries, both within the organisation and with partners (customers) outside it.
Can we have examples? At UC Hire Lab, that’s how we do it!
“For more than 20 years, our employees and partners have seen that employee wellbeing at United Consult is not just an HR strategy, but a cornerstone of our culture. We know that satisfied and healthy employees are the most productive, so we support them in their daily lives with complex programs and services, and this is also true for our colleagues at our partners,” continues László Melovits. The mental and emotional well-being of our temporary employees is a priority for the organisation: the integrated support system available to them ensures that they can access the necessary support services anonymously, from anywhere, at any time. We also organise regular communication and other soft skills training to develop our employees’ skills in stress management, mental health and burnout prevention. We also monitor the lives, wellbeing and development of our colleagues through personalised one-to-one sessions so that we can identify early on if someone needs help.
United Consult Office – BudaPart
Team spirit is also fostered through our activities and retreats at the Group’s holiday home, KUCko. They also strengthen the professional and social relationships between colleagues. It also strengthens professional and friendly relationships between colleagues. The latter is important, if only because we find that at UC, work and private communities often overlap, creating a truly cohesive community. At our company we work in a hybrid working environment, typically tailored to the needs of client projects and individuals, and we also provide ergonomic advice to our colleagues for working from home. In addition to the client offices, our staff can also use the Group’s modern head office, which further enhances the social networking.
The physical health of our workers is in our common interest. Our MoveUC programme forges our team into a truly sporty community, with more people taking part in activities such as the Ultrabalaton, and fun bike rides and hikes to encourage colleagues to exercise regularly. We have a fruit day on Wednesdays, and our occupational health package offers our staff more services than required.
Why is temporary placement a special field?
First of all, because in the wrong case, the employee may feel that he or she belongs to several companies at the same time, while in reality he or she is not really at home anywhere. At UC Hire Lab, however, we strive to provide our colleagues with a friendly, supportive working environment as part of the UC community, and our partners provide ideal working conditions. It is important for us that our employees stay with us for the long term, avoiding frequent job changes, which are unfortunately not uncommon in the sector. Our efforts listed above are not only for the mental and emotional well-being of our employees, but also for the benefit of our borrowing partner companies. Our colleagues can help them to achieve their business goals in top physical and mental shape, and even contribute to a positive workplace atmosphere. We also provide assistance with occupational health and fitness tests: although this would traditionally be the responsibility of our partners – the borrowers – we take on these responsibilities to ensure that our employees receive more thorough health care than is required by law.
All in all, employee wellbeing is not just a trendy concept to be celebrated on a World Day like this one, but a daily practice that is constantly evolving and developing to ensure that UC Hire Lab is always in tune with the changing needs of the labour market and employee expectations. We believe and know that the support and community spirit we provide creates the foundation that enables all our employees to be their best, both at work, in service to our partners and in their personal lives.
