During the state of emergency brought upon by the coronavirus, Assert International conducted a research which consists of two phases. The aim of the research was to question how satisfied the employees were with the actions taken by their employer during the pandemic. One such action was related to efficiency of psychological support and development. The results showed that 40.64% of the employed were extremely pleased with the aforementioned action during the first phase of the pandemic, but only 4.17% during the second phase.

For 74% of the people working in the company, this dissatisfaction led to low motivation and dedication. Apart from that, 37.5% of employees testified that their dissatisfaction triggered a spread of negative reaction toward the employer.

The results of the research done by Assert International indicated that a substantial number of employers was focused on providing their workforce with support by introducing programs designed to offer financial and psychological help. The majority of them view providing psychological support to employees as the key strategy intended to improve their business. Accordingly, the programs directed to maintaining mental wellbeing, motivation, and productivity in the company proved to be the most efficient ones within crisis management. It was pointed out that those programs were seen as the most effective in the fields of IT, telecommunications and consulting. The research also showed that 40% of enterprises in the aforementioned fields invest into psychological support and wellbeing programs intended for their workers. The most common ways of providing psychological support are online workshops, coaching sessions, psychotherapy, and phone conversations.

Direct supervisors have one of the most important roles in the implementation of the support programs. The first phase of the research showed that 40% of employers directed their efforts towards employee counselling in order to face the new challenges more effectively. Furthermore, over a half of them indicated giving support to their workers for better organising their everyday work so as to prevent any stressful situations. The results of the first phase also showed that over 90% employees expressed a high level of satisfaction with the previously mentioned actions, which resulted in a high level of motivation for work and dedication in reaching company goals. However, the positive feedback had a substantial drop of 28.1% during the third quarter. To ensure that the impact of psychological programs remains sustainable, companies should introduce systematic support programs, coaching, psychotherapy, etc.

Direct supervisors also have a key role in providing psychological support, both during a crisis and under normal circumstances. Therefore, they should have adequate training in that field in addition to management training.

Meta-analysis of global and local studies indicates many positive impacts of psychological support programs:

  • Increased work efficiency (64% of employees)
  • Creating safe work atmosphere for employees
  • Identifying employees with the company
  • Reduction of stress at work
  • Reduction of absence, sick leave, and fluctuation rate (50% of employees)
  • Improving interpersonal relations

 

The question is: Are all psychological support programs created equal?

 

Not every psychological support program is equally efficient at maximizing wellbeing. It is crucial to take into consideration all the work aspects of a company – company resources, organisational culture and the needs of both the company and its employees; and to create specific psychological support programs in accordance with them.

 

                                                                                                                            Dunja Dmitrović

                                                                                                                              HR Consultant

It is the responsibility of our Research Team @Assert to provide a detailed and realistic representation of working conditions on the market to our clients, as well as to successfully map out all the profiles and personnel, both employed and unemployed, across different industries. We strive to direct the market towards ensuring fair and transparent conditions for all employees.  Our focus is on creating plans and methodology, as well as efficient internal and external research in accordance with the highest standards of quality and efficiency, and the specific needs of our clients. Additionally, we propose and implement action points that give companies a competitive edge on the job market.