Organisational empathy

Over the past two years, we learned that the key to a thriving company is keeping your people safe, secure and feeling loved,” says Joanna Swash, CEO of Wrexham-based MoneypennyLink opens in a new window, the global virtual PA and answering service. “We have 890 people in the UK alone and they all have different needs and worries. We have always tried to treat every single person who works here as an individual, but the pandemic has really focused our efforts.” In 2022, Swash believes that all leaders will need to stop thinking about a “one-size-fits-all approach to HR” and instead “have empathy for every single person who works for you”. She explains: “2022 is the year that companies stop thinking about workforce and instead think of their people as a community or a family.” At Moneypenny, this has been achieved through a distributed HR strategy. Groups of four PAs have a team leader, and every four teams have a team manager. “The idea is that you always have someone close to you knowing what you need, with the authority to make it happen,” says Swash. “You have to empower individuals to make the right decisions and, if mistakes happen, help them to fix them quickly.” There are significant benefits to treating every employee as a valued part of the family, she says: “They will be more loyal, stay longer, have more accountability within the organisation, and if someone’s not happy, they will tell you and give you a chance to help them.”

At Virgin Money, we’ve introduced a brighter way of working called 'A Life More Virgin'Link opens in a new window which brings our colleagues more choice, control and flexibility to live and work how they choose. It also gives colleagues five extra paid well-being days a year to help them switch off and recharge as well as many more brilliant benefits.

Establishing a good work-life balance is essential. For sole traders and those who run their businesses by themselves it can be easy to fall into the trap of working around the clock and not setting work-life boundaries. But it’s paramount that you do. Creating habits such as: setting a hard finishing time each day, having a defined workspace, and having a work phone that’s separate to your personal one can help create a healthy work-life balance that’ll help with your mental wellbeing and prevent burnout.
https://uk.virginmoney.com/brighter-money/upcoming-business-trends/