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Could L&D be the answer to work-related stress?
Recent research by Ciphr has found that work is the third-biggest cause of stress for UK employees, coming in just under “feeling tired” and “money and finances” -- both of which, let’s be honest, can also be linked back to work.
This damning evidence suggests that something needs to change in UK workplaces, and quickly. So where does L&D fit into all of this? Surely as the organisation’s learning function, you have a role to play in its’ employees’ wellbeing. In this blog, we’ll explore what exactly that role is, and answer the question: Is L&D the answer to work-related stress?
‍
Here are a few ways that L&D can make a difference to workplace stress:
‍
We don’t have to tell you twice that L&D plays a huge role in creating a positive company culture. Learning, development and training are all factors that massively dictate the way it feels to work somewhere. If people feel unsupported or unheard, the company culture will suffer as a result, causing a knock-on effect on employees’ stress levels.
When asked about specific elements of their work-related stress, 20% of employees surveyed said that company culture was the biggest contributor. The good news is that L&D can help, and here are just a few examples:
‍
Development: It’s a lot less nerve-wracking to drive down a new path when you can actually see where you’re going. The “Development” part of “Learning and Development” is crucial to your organisation’s overall culture and its employees’ stress levels.
Provide clear, actionable pathways so that your people know where they’re going – because a sense of stagnation is not conducive to a fulfilling role. One way you can put employee development into action is through Skills and Goals functionality within your LMS.
With this functionality, your people can set clear goals for themselves, and track their way to success through assigned learning that helps them get where they need to go. Creating a nurturing environment is just one part of L&D’s contribution to this issue, and it makes a huge difference.
Recognition: Nobody wants to be doing their job – or its training – in a vacuum. Another pillar of L&D is feedback and recognition for your learners. As the L&D function you are uniquely positioned to keep track of your people’s development, achievements and progression – and, most importantly, recognise them for it.
Your LMS should be set up with visible badges and achievements to keep learners motivated along the way, and certificates to reward them at the end of their learning journeys. As discussed in our previous blog The benefits of gamification in learning, certificates have been proven to significantly boost completion rates, which drop by a staggering 50% in their absence.
A safe, inclusive environment: While this isn’t L&D’s total responsibility, it’s certainly something to which the department contributes a great deal. Your organisation’s culture, values and mission all inform the type of learning content that you push out to your learners, and it can be a great way to underpin an inclusive environment.
If you’re not sure where to start, pick a provider that can equip your team with a catalogue of well-researched, engaging off-the-shelf learning content on relevant topics.
‍
Around one in five employees (21%) say their boss contributes to their stress levels. Again, this falls right within L&D’s purview.
If you’ve read our recent blog Are leaders born or made? you’ll know that leadership development is not as straightforward as simply delivering training to would-be leaders. It should take a more holistic view, and thankfully, L&D teams have the necessary skills to support this.
To quote ourselves (after all, we said it best…)
“Ironically enough, leadership development training shouldn’t necessarily be the first port of call when it comes to, well, leadership development.
We know that sounds strange, but hear us out.
Instead of jumping straight to this step without passing “go”, it’s better for organisations to first identify the values and behaviours that they want to encourage within their organisation, and how they plan to measure them. Talk to stakeholders and leadership teams, and pay attention to the desired behaviours that keep coming up in conversation.
You can also take a look throughout all the departments in the organisation, and assess what’s already there. Which positive habits are already taking place, and where are the gaps (if any?) Next, make sure that everything feeds into the wider organisational goals – it’s all connected.
Once you’ve established these values and behaviours, you’re one step closer to your goal. This step plays a crucial part in leadership development and sets you up for success when it comes to shaping the rest of your strategy.”
Through this method, you can help to build up leaders that are both fully aligned with your organisation’s goals, and prepared to take on their new roles.
If you saw the study released by Chartered Management Institute (a recent Thrive customer, so they must know what they’re talking about…) and YouGov last year, you’ll know about the phenomenon of “accidental managers,” illustrated by the fact that 82% of workers entering management positions have never had any formal leadership training. In turn, one in three workers are leaving their jobs due to a toxic work culture.
L&D can help break this cycle by both delivering the necessary formal training, and encouraging the organisation’s desired behaviours in future leaders. This purposeful, multi-pronged approach will alleviate workplace stress for the people who matter most: Your employees.
Providing your employees with skills support and training is a hugely valuable way to mitigate work-related stress. This should, of course, start at the onboarding stage – but it’s important that it continues throughout their roles.
We touched on this in our point about workplace culture earlier, but it bears repeating. Receiving proper training is a crucial part of getting a new starter on their feet and instilling them with a sense of confidence. Further down the line, ongoing support with their skills not only helps them feel competent in their current roles, but also empowers them to progress even further.
L&D providing this support (if done right) will also increase engagement levels – which directly reduces stress. And that’s not conjecture; it’s been proven. This study from SpringerLink found that engaged employees show higher levels of trust in management and share more positive experiences with coworkers, which contributes to reduced stress and improved well-being.
‍
That’s not a rhetorical question -- as powerful as you are, there are some things that L&D teams can’t do!
We’ve explored some ways in which L&D can help, but let’s put our “Realist” hats on for a moment and talk about the things that are outside of your control.
‍
35% of employees cited workload as their biggest workplace stressor.
By putting this on our “L&D can’t change it” list, we’re not saying that you have absolutely no hand in this at all. There are always ways in which L&D teams can help, which then feed into the wider organisation (for example, time management training and the previously mentioned leadership development.) However, at a certain point, the C-suite and their department heads need to take responsibility for any unrealistic workloads foisted upon their direct reports.
Workload distribution is usually driven by high-level strategic decisions made by senior leadership, and each department has their own goals and management practices. It’s unfortunately impossible for L&D teams to be in multiple places at the same time (and even the most sophisticated LMS hasn’t mastered that technology yet.)
‍
23% of employees said that their working hours contributed to their workplace stress, and that’s hardly surprising. A study by Morgan McKinley found that 91% of “white collar” professionals work beyond their contracted hours, so it follows that this would be cited as a stressor. This feeds into our previous point about large workloads: Unrealistic expectations can lead to employees working longer to catch up.
Again, we’re not saying L&D has nothing to do with this; we recently ran our own 4 day work-week trial partially facilitated by our Chief Learning Officer Helen Marshall (check out her podcast on the topic, and plenty of other interesting topics, here.) However, L&D can’t take full responsibility. It’s largely down to leadership and people teams to make long-term changes, which then need to be repeatedly enforced. Â
‍
Once again, say it with us: We’re not claiming that L&D has nothing to do with this. Providing clear career progression and goals can help employees succeed in their roles and increase their salary in an indirect way -- but employees being undervalued and underpaid unfortunately falls outside of L&D’s purview.
Nearly half (45%) of employees in non-management positions, supervisors and junior managers report being stressed about their finances. And no wonder. We’re quite famously going through a Cost of Living Crisis in this country, and the squeeze seems to be coming from every single direction. Whether it’s the weekly shop receipt making your eyes water, your petrol cost for getting to work skyrocketing, or rent/mortgage increasing, there are so many little things that add up to financial stress.
This can then be exacerbated by companies underpaying their staff, which needs to change at a leadership and organisational level.
‍
So, now to answer the question we came here to ask: Is L&D the answer to work-related stress?
Well, as has probably been made clear throughout the course of this article: Yes and no. There are certain things that quite simply fall outside of L&D’s remit, and that you do not have the authority to change. As much as we’d love to claim that L&D is an omnipotent force that can magically reduce workloads, improve working hours and double the amount in employees’ bank accounts, it’s just not the case.
But while L&D teams may not be “all-powerful”, you’re far from powerless. By harnessing your ability to make changes wherever you can, L&D has the ability to enact change within their organisation and help employees feel markedly less stress as a result.
‍
‍
Are you looking to create a safe, inclusive environment for your employees just like the one mentioned in this blog? Check out Thrive Content: The off-the-shelf learning content solution with hundreds of resources including modules on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
‍
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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Could L&D be the answer to work-related stress?
Recent research by Ciphr has found that work is the third-biggest cause of stress for UK employees, coming in just under “feeling tired” and “money and finances” -- both of which, let’s be honest, can also be linked back to work.
This damning evidence suggests that something needs to change in UK workplaces, and quickly. So where does L&D fit into all of this? Surely as the organisation’s learning function, you have a role to play in its’ employees’ wellbeing. In this blog, we’ll explore what exactly that role is, and answer the question: Is L&D the answer to work-related stress?
‍
Here are a few ways that L&D can make a difference to workplace stress:
‍
We don’t have to tell you twice that L&D plays a huge role in creating a positive company culture. Learning, development and training are all factors that massively dictate the way it feels to work somewhere. If people feel unsupported or unheard, the company culture will suffer as a result, causing a knock-on effect on employees’ stress levels.
When asked about specific elements of their work-related stress, 20% of employees surveyed said that company culture was the biggest contributor. The good news is that L&D can help, and here are just a few examples:
‍
Development: It’s a lot less nerve-wracking to drive down a new path when you can actually see where you’re going. The “Development” part of “Learning and Development” is crucial to your organisation’s overall culture and its employees’ stress levels.
Provide clear, actionable pathways so that your people know where they’re going – because a sense of stagnation is not conducive to a fulfilling role. One way you can put employee development into action is through Skills and Goals functionality within your LMS.
With this functionality, your people can set clear goals for themselves, and track their way to success through assigned learning that helps them get where they need to go. Creating a nurturing environment is just one part of L&D’s contribution to this issue, and it makes a huge difference.
Recognition: Nobody wants to be doing their job – or its training – in a vacuum. Another pillar of L&D is feedback and recognition for your learners. As the L&D function you are uniquely positioned to keep track of your people’s development, achievements and progression – and, most importantly, recognise them for it.
Your LMS should be set up with visible badges and achievements to keep learners motivated along the way, and certificates to reward them at the end of their learning journeys. As discussed in our previous blog The benefits of gamification in learning, certificates have been proven to significantly boost completion rates, which drop by a staggering 50% in their absence.
A safe, inclusive environment: While this isn’t L&D’s total responsibility, it’s certainly something to which the department contributes a great deal. Your organisation’s culture, values and mission all inform the type of learning content that you push out to your learners, and it can be a great way to underpin an inclusive environment.
If you’re not sure where to start, pick a provider that can equip your team with a catalogue of well-researched, engaging off-the-shelf learning content on relevant topics.
‍
Around one in five employees (21%) say their boss contributes to their stress levels. Again, this falls right within L&D’s purview.
If you’ve read our recent blog Are leaders born or made? you’ll know that leadership development is not as straightforward as simply delivering training to would-be leaders. It should take a more holistic view, and thankfully, L&D teams have the necessary skills to support this.
To quote ourselves (after all, we said it best…)
“Ironically enough, leadership development training shouldn’t necessarily be the first port of call when it comes to, well, leadership development.
We know that sounds strange, but hear us out.
Instead of jumping straight to this step without passing “go”, it’s better for organisations to first identify the values and behaviours that they want to encourage within their organisation, and how they plan to measure them. Talk to stakeholders and leadership teams, and pay attention to the desired behaviours that keep coming up in conversation.
You can also take a look throughout all the departments in the organisation, and assess what’s already there. Which positive habits are already taking place, and where are the gaps (if any?) Next, make sure that everything feeds into the wider organisational goals – it’s all connected.
Once you’ve established these values and behaviours, you’re one step closer to your goal. This step plays a crucial part in leadership development and sets you up for success when it comes to shaping the rest of your strategy.”
Through this method, you can help to build up leaders that are both fully aligned with your organisation’s goals, and prepared to take on their new roles.
If you saw the study released by Chartered Management Institute (a recent Thrive customer, so they must know what they’re talking about…) and YouGov last year, you’ll know about the phenomenon of “accidental managers,” illustrated by the fact that 82% of workers entering management positions have never had any formal leadership training. In turn, one in three workers are leaving their jobs due to a toxic work culture.
L&D can help break this cycle by both delivering the necessary formal training, and encouraging the organisation’s desired behaviours in future leaders. This purposeful, multi-pronged approach will alleviate workplace stress for the people who matter most: Your employees.
Providing your employees with skills support and training is a hugely valuable way to mitigate work-related stress. This should, of course, start at the onboarding stage – but it’s important that it continues throughout their roles.
We touched on this in our point about workplace culture earlier, but it bears repeating. Receiving proper training is a crucial part of getting a new starter on their feet and instilling them with a sense of confidence. Further down the line, ongoing support with their skills not only helps them feel competent in their current roles, but also empowers them to progress even further.
L&D providing this support (if done right) will also increase engagement levels – which directly reduces stress. And that’s not conjecture; it’s been proven. This study from SpringerLink found that engaged employees show higher levels of trust in management and share more positive experiences with coworkers, which contributes to reduced stress and improved well-being.
‍
That’s not a rhetorical question -- as powerful as you are, there are some things that L&D teams can’t do!
We’ve explored some ways in which L&D can help, but let’s put our “Realist” hats on for a moment and talk about the things that are outside of your control.
‍
35% of employees cited workload as their biggest workplace stressor.
By putting this on our “L&D can’t change it” list, we’re not saying that you have absolutely no hand in this at all. There are always ways in which L&D teams can help, which then feed into the wider organisation (for example, time management training and the previously mentioned leadership development.) However, at a certain point, the C-suite and their department heads need to take responsibility for any unrealistic workloads foisted upon their direct reports.
Workload distribution is usually driven by high-level strategic decisions made by senior leadership, and each department has their own goals and management practices. It’s unfortunately impossible for L&D teams to be in multiple places at the same time (and even the most sophisticated LMS hasn’t mastered that technology yet.)
‍
23% of employees said that their working hours contributed to their workplace stress, and that’s hardly surprising. A study by Morgan McKinley found that 91% of “white collar” professionals work beyond their contracted hours, so it follows that this would be cited as a stressor. This feeds into our previous point about large workloads: Unrealistic expectations can lead to employees working longer to catch up.
Again, we’re not saying L&D has nothing to do with this; we recently ran our own 4 day work-week trial partially facilitated by our Chief Learning Officer Helen Marshall (check out her podcast on the topic, and plenty of other interesting topics, here.) However, L&D can’t take full responsibility. It’s largely down to leadership and people teams to make long-term changes, which then need to be repeatedly enforced. Â
‍
Once again, say it with us: We’re not claiming that L&D has nothing to do with this. Providing clear career progression and goals can help employees succeed in their roles and increase their salary in an indirect way -- but employees being undervalued and underpaid unfortunately falls outside of L&D’s purview.
Nearly half (45%) of employees in non-management positions, supervisors and junior managers report being stressed about their finances. And no wonder. We’re quite famously going through a Cost of Living Crisis in this country, and the squeeze seems to be coming from every single direction. Whether it’s the weekly shop receipt making your eyes water, your petrol cost for getting to work skyrocketing, or rent/mortgage increasing, there are so many little things that add up to financial stress.
This can then be exacerbated by companies underpaying their staff, which needs to change at a leadership and organisational level.
‍
So, now to answer the question we came here to ask: Is L&D the answer to work-related stress?
Well, as has probably been made clear throughout the course of this article: Yes and no. There are certain things that quite simply fall outside of L&D’s remit, and that you do not have the authority to change. As much as we’d love to claim that L&D is an omnipotent force that can magically reduce workloads, improve working hours and double the amount in employees’ bank accounts, it’s just not the case.
But while L&D teams may not be “all-powerful”, you’re far from powerless. By harnessing your ability to make changes wherever you can, L&D has the ability to enact change within their organisation and help employees feel markedly less stress as a result.
‍
‍
Are you looking to create a safe, inclusive environment for your employees just like the one mentioned in this blog? Check out Thrive Content: The off-the-shelf learning content solution with hundreds of resources including modules on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
‍
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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