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At-risk employees: Identifying & supporting vulnerable team members

At-risk employees: Identifying & supporting vulnerable team members

Running a successful business relies in large part on your ability to maintain a stable and positive workplace culture — ensuring leaders can recognize the impact at-risk employees have on organizational health is crucial.

Leadership should be trained to spot at-risk employees. They should understand how to foster a supportive environment and actively take positive steps to help. High-risk employees are more vulnerable to stress, burnout, and can harm themselves and the company they work for.

Personal, social, or professional circumstances might contribute to employee risk, and their vulnerabilities can affect team morale, productivity, and even retention rates. Making sure that every employee feels valued, understood, and cared for is possible when you prioritize health and resiliency, which benefits at the individual level and on a broader, organization-wide scale.

Identifying and addressing employees’ challenges is the first step in creating a productive workplace environment. It’s a powerful tool in your leadership arsenal that can help prevent challenges from escalating into long-term issues. Read on to learn more about at-risk workers in your organization and how you can help.

What does it mean to be an at-risk employee?

At-risk employees face stress and vulnerability in the workplace that typically stems from a variety of personal and professional factors, including things like:

  • Health issues
  • Mental health challenges
  • Financial stress
  • Family responsibilities
  • Loneliness
  • Social discrimination

For these employees, consistently performing, engaging, and managing emotional well-being can be challenging. As a result, a high-risk employee is more susceptible to burnout, stress, and anxiety — they also tend to leave their jobs more quickly. The good news is that, according to research, more than 40% of turnover is preventable. Acknowledging there are signs of a potential problem is step 1.1

Common signs of at-risk employees

Several key indicators suggest an at-risk employee might be struggling. Before you can help them, you need to be able to determine where the problem lies.

Remember that signs of at-risk behavior can manifest in multiple ways. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing an issue like this. It’s important to look for behavioral or emotional changes or a decline in performance or productivity. Addressing each indication specifically and immediately will be most effective. Proper risk management also demonstrates how much you care about your employees and might prevent further issues.

Behavioral changes

At-risk employees often exhibit noticeable behavioral changes. Leadership should be aware of and trained to recognize and respond to these shifts. Doing so is valuable for everyone involved, improving the employee’s well-being and performance and the organization’s overall health.

Common behavioral changes to look for include:

  • Increased absenteeism
  • Withdrawal from the team
  • Sudden decline in communication
  • Low productivity at work
  • Signs of increased irritability or agitation
  • Shift in general work habits

Emotional indicators

Sometimes changes in an employee are less behavioral than they are emotional. Understanding the red flags for emotional struggles is critical, but the signs can be easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

Common emotional indicators to look for include:

  • More frequent expressions of anxiety, frustration, or sadness
  • Seeming overwhelmed
  • Displaying a lack of motivation
  • Struggling to keep a positive outlook

Performance decline

A decline in performance or productivity is yet another signal that an employee might be struggling. Personal or professional challenges should be addressed immediately, especially when there is no apparent cause.

Signs of performance decline often include:

  • Missed deadlines
  • Missing important meetings
  • Decreased productivity
  • Drop in quality of work
  • Lack of focus
  • Change in attention to detail

The impact of ignoring at-risk employees

Failing to recognize, address, and support at-risk employees has serious repercussions. Ignoring clear warning signs found during a risk assessment can have a ripple effect that impacts both the employee and overall workplace culture across an organization.

Negative effects on the individual

Ignoring indications of at-risk behavior can cause obvious damage to employees, who might experience worsening mental health challenges like increased stress levels, depression, and anxiety. They also might feel isolated and burned out, making it difficult for them to perform duties effectively. Unfortunately, the long-term impact of not properly managing at-risk signs usually results in personal and professional fallout that’s incredibly hard to recover from.

Consequences for the team and organization

The consequences of not addressing at-risk concerns extend far beyond individual employees. Unaddressed issues will almost always lead to decreased morale, increased turnover, and reduced productivity.

When an employee suffers to the point they’re unable to do their job, workloads likely become unevenly distributed, causing stress for the rest of the workforce. Even worse, it can affect brand reputation. If you’re a company known for not supporting employees, it can make attracting and retaining top talent increasingly challenging and hinder your overall success.

How to support at-risk employees

Supporting at-risk employees is crucial to your organization’s overall success. It requires a proactive approach that addresses each employee’s unique needs. In short, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to helping your workforce thrive.

The good news is that fostering a positive work environment is possible when you’re armed with targeted strategies and resources. With an organized, thoughtful effort, you can help employees feel valued and supported, ultimately enhancing their well-being and creating a more resilient and productive workforce. Here’s how.

Implementing employee assistance programs (EAPs)

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are designed to provide confidential support services to ensure employees can deal with personal and work-related challenges. Offering employees access to professional resources can help them manage stress, anxiety, and other personal or professional issues that are interfering with work performance.

Types of employee benefits EAPs offer include:

  • Counseling
  • Mental health services
  • Financial advice
  • Legal assistance

Promoting mental health resources

Promoting accessible mental health resources is a critical piece of the puzzle when supporting at-risk employees. Several effective tools will help you create an environment that destigmatizes and openly promotes positive mental health in the workplace. By normalizing and encouraging employees to seek help, you can foster a supportive workplace culture that prioritizes mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

You might provide access to resources like:

  • Access to therapy
  • Mindfulness workshops
  • Stress management training
  • Deep breathing training

Offering flexible work arrangements

Making flexible work arrangements a company perk is another simple way to support all employees — it can be especially beneficial for those who are at high risk. Helping people manage personal and professional responsibilities promotes work-life balance and allows them to be productive and engaged when, where, and how it works for them. The effort signals that you care about your workforce and is a valuable strategy that’s easy to implement.

You can offer:

  • Remote work options
  • Flex hours
  • Mental health days off
  • Shortened work weeks

Providing training and development opportunities

Employees today want training and development opportunities. A recent Pew Research survey found that the majority of people who quit their jobs cite the same key reasons — and 63% of them said there was no opportunity for them to advance at their company.2 Another survey discovered that lack of advancement opportunities is the most common reason people quit.3 Providing ways to grow with your company might help high-risk employees feel valued and invested in their jobs.

To boost confidence, promote job satisfaction, and enhance a sense of purpose — which can be particularly beneficial for vulnerable and struggling employees — you can start offering:

  • Skill-building workshops
  • Mentoring programs
  • Career advancement training and courses
  • Tuition reimbursement or stipends

Prioritizing employee well-being

Prioritizing employee well-being can feel overwhelming at first. The task may even seem daunting, but your efforts will more than pay off when you have a healthy, productive workforce that’s satisfied and happy. The approach is more than just compassionate — it’s a strategic investment in your organization’s long-term success. When you find ways to offer employees much-needed support and resources, you’ll be able to reduce turnover and enhance productivity, creating a more inclusive, resilient workplace culture that attracts top talent who produces exceptional results.

Talkspace can help you take the next step in providing positive support. Offering accessible mental health services tailored to the needs of each employee in your organization helps create a thriving environment for everyone.

Request a demo from Talkspace today to learn how to benefit your at-risk employees.

Sources:

  1. Wigert, By Corey Tatel Ph.D. and Ben, PhD. 2024. “42% of employee turnover is preventable but often ignored.” Gallup.Com, August 23, 2024. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/646538/employee-turnover-preventable-often-ignored.aspx. Accessed August 29, 2024.
  2. Blazina, Carrie. 2024. “Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected.” Pew Research Center, April 14, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/03/09/majority-of-workers-who-quit-a-job-in-2021-cite-low-pay-no-opportunities-for-advancement-feeling-disrespected/. Accessed August 29, 2024.
  3. De Smet, Aaron, Bonnie Dowling, Bryan Hancock, and Bill Schaninger. 2022. “The Great Attrition Is Making Hiring Harder. Are You Searching the Right Talent Pools?” McKinsey & Company. July 13, 2022. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-great-attrition-is-making-hiring-harder-are-you-searching-the-right-talent-pools. Accessed August 29, 2024.

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