Why Oil & Gas Companies should promote a healthy Work Life balance?

The Great Crew Change in the oil and gas industry is finally happening. The millennials are here. The industry is experiencing a demographic shift and the millennials in oil and gas are seeking true job satisfaction. The kind which goes beyond handsome salary packages. A recent study revealed that a healthy work life balance is one of the major factors responsible for employee retention.

(Suggested Read: Approaching a fine Work Life Balance in Oil and Gas Industry)

“The reality is the workforce that we have coming in now and tomorrow won’t accept those long hours. We need to meet employees better where they are in their work-life balance. That means flexible work hours, maternal/paternal leave, recreational activities – these are the kinds of things that are going to attract and help retain talent in the industry.”

The oil and gas companies will be relying more and more on Millennial talent. And for this, they need to work upon building a culture that helps the employees to balance life and work.

Why O&G Companies should promote a healthy work life balance?

Better Employee Experience will add to the growth story

When the young generation looks for jobs today, the first thing they do is check Glassdoor reviews. The stars, the pros, and the cons are a major deciding factor for applying in any organization. If they don’t find satisfactory reviews online, they check in with their connections to get an insight. No matter how big the brand, it all comes down to one thing: Do people really want to work there?

Employee experience is at the heart of human resources and work culture in the modern workplace. If people working for you are not happy with the compensation and benefits, contributing to the success story will not be on their priority list for long. Commitment is a two-way street. If your employees are committing good work to you, they definitely need to be taken care of. Here’s what a complete employee experience looks like.

Make the employees feel more connected with their work

“In the context of workplace wellness, connection at work refers to a connection that motivates a team to work together toward a shared purpose, rather than a simple social connection.”

Employees who typically feel more connected and engaged with their workplace go above and beyond. Not only this, they even step up to help their colleagues. They are sincerely dedicated to the organization and it reflects in everything they do. Oil and gas companies are spread across the globe, operate on an extensive scale, and are multi-generational in nature. Engagement and connection in such a landscape are not easy. But all good things begin with small steps. With weekly or monthly employee engagement activities and more personalized interaction, companies can work towards this element. Further, it will add to a healthy work life balance.

(Suggested Read: Why strong workplace relationships matter?)

Time for personal growth

An individual’s growth is definitely not linear in nature. And most importantly, it is not dependent only on his or her career. If the work starts consuming even the hours after office, it is going to take a heavy toll on the employees’ emotional, mental, and physical health. The oil and gas companies are infamous for long working hours in challenging working conditions. Promoting a healthy work life balance will definitely help the employees make room for their family, relationships, self-development, and care.

(Suggested Read: Achieving Work Life Balance in Irregular Working Hours)

Happy employees make a very productive team

What does it mean to be happy in the workplace?

The Truth About Employee Engagement talks by Patrick Lencioni talks about true happiness at work. The author emphasizes on three elements: who you are matters, what you do has an impact, and you’re making progress.