Wealth and wellbeing: the best of both worlds
Nasser Siabi has a vision to improve productivity and enhance the wellbeing of the workforce. He describes how his company, Microlink PC, can make it a reality
Dr Nasser Siabi OBE is a man with a mission. He firmly believes that, with the appropriate support, every member of a nation’s workforce can realise their full potential. More than that, he believes this is the way to achieve two of the key priorities for any government: an increase in economic output and enhanced wellbeing among citizens.
Siabi is the chief executive of Microlink PC, which he founded more than two decades ago. The company focuses on helping people with disabilities in employment and education, so that they are able to work in ways that enable them to flourish.
One of the key ways of achieving this is through the use of assisted technology, which is a particular area of specialism for Microlink. This can include items such as a computer screen reader for someone with impaired vision, or a pen that helps a person with dyslexia to take useful notes.
In addition to providing technology that supports people with disabilities in school, college or the workplace, Microlink offers an assessment service. A member of its team analyses the particular needs of a student or employee on a one-to-one basis, then makes recommendations about how to improve the environment in which they work.
“The resulting changes don’t have to be to the person’s physical environment,” reports Siabi. “For example, it could be that adjusting the working hours of an employee helps that person to deliver better results. The point is that, until you assess what is needed, you’ll never know.”
This isn’t only about improving the lives of the workforce, as Siabi is quick to recognise. “That’s a laudable ambition,” he muses, “and one that I’m utterly committed to. But for many organisations – including global governments – the benefit of contracting Microlink is that the workforce becomes more productive.”
There is strong evidence to support this claim. For example, Microlink has a long partnership with the Lloyds Banking Group, through which it has helped the company reduce absenteeism, improve staff retention and enhance employee satisfaction.
“When people are supported in the workplace,” Siabi asserts, “they feel valued. This usually means they will deliver more for their employer, and feel more committed to their job.”
More than that, a workforce that is helped to thrive will be a happier one. And alongside the benefits this brings for their employer in terms of increased output, it delivers a wider set of gains for society in general.
Greater productivity by individual workers makes a cumulative contribution to the economic prosperity of a nation, of course. But Siabi argues that it also helps enhance wellbeing and happiness among citizens– which many now see as a key indicator of a country’s health.
“People want to be happy,” he observes. “Providing appropriate support for them in an educational or employment context helps with this at an emotional level. It also delivers practical benefits, because they will be physically and psychologically healthier if their lives are made as comfortable as possible.”
It’s easy to see the force of Siabi’s argument, and the ways in which his company can help organisations to realise his vision of a healthier, wealthier population. And when you put it like that, it is surely only a matter of time before Microlink PC becomes known for its achievements on a truly global scale.
To find out more, visit www.microlinkpc.com
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