Whether high or low, confidence can affect every aspect of our lives. Sometimes, one area of confidence can influence another. If you’re sporting your favorite outfit in the workplace, you may be able to share your ideas with more authority. On the flip side, if you have a day in which you feel particularly low, you may be less likely to speak up and speak your mind.
As an employer, it is in your best interest to foster an environment where your staff feels as confident in themselves as possible. Confidence can help your staff perform at a higher level, take on more challenges, and increase their participation in workplace discussions. You can’t exactly pick out your staff’s outfits every day, but there are ways you can empower them to look, feel, and perform their best.
Insurance
The simplest step you can take to help your employee’s confidence increase? Offer a robust insurance plan for your staff. Healthcare costs are skyrocketing; it’s difficult for people to bring their best selves to the office if they’re stressed about balancing financial stability and medical treatment. If your staff has the tools they need to live a healthy life, their stress levels will fall and their confidence can soar.
Be sure to choose an insurance plan that includes dental coverage. After all, for many, a smile has the potential to be either a source of confidence or a source of insecurity. Studies show that smiling boosts confidence, so help your staff feel their best by achieving the smile that makes them feel great. Not all dental plans include orthodontic coverage, but including these benefits opens up several possibilities for your team.
Many people shy away from showing their full smile if they aren’t happy with their alignment. Getting braces or going through clear aligner treatment like Invisalign could help someone go from insecurely putting their hand over their mouth when they smile to smiling freely and brightly.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible Spending Accounts are another great way to empower your staff to feel healthy and confident. Your employee can contribute pre-tax income to these accounts, but you can also add to them — right now the annual limit for employer contributions is $3,050. These tax-free funds are typically used to offset larger medical costs, or treatments not covered by insurance. You can use them for prescriptions, co-pays, and deductible expenses.
However, in addition to standard health care expenses, these tax-free funds can qualify for far more varied treatments. These funds can be used on massage, acupuncture, chiropractor appointments, and many other wellness options that can help your team feel their best.
Making varied health and wellness treatments available to your staff can help them thrive. And when they’re able to feel their best, they can bring a high functioning version of themselves to their work.
Frequent Feedback
A little feedback goes a long way. It’s important that your staff feels that their hard work is seen and appreciated by you. Since the modern workplace is fast paced, it’s important you intentionally carve out the time to meet with your employees and offer them positive feedback about the aspects of their job in which you see them excelling. Without this intentionality, weeks can go by without touching down to members of your staff.
Not every member of your team has the same abilities, and it’s important you show them that their unique contributions to the workplace are valued. When your employees feel that their talents are being seen and appreciated, their workplace confidence can grow, leading to higher job satisfaction as well as renewed attention and effort towards your common goals.
Conclusion
The way your staff looks and feels may feel like territory you have no control over; and while that’s true in many ways, with a generous insurance program, FSA plans, and thoughtful feedback you can empower them to look and feel their best. And when your staff feels confident in their appearance and their ideas, they’re sure to bring a highly productive version of themselves to the office every day.