Workplace wellbeing has become an increasing focus in the past two years. What can your business do to develop an effective workplace wellbeing strategy?
While the best employers have long focused on workplace wellbeing, what such initiatives look like and how they're delivered has undoubtedly changed since COVID-19 changed our world.
Many employers have taken steps to change benefits packages to reflect the “new normal” of fully remote or hybrid working. Yet, focusing on employee wellbeing goes further than swapping out a gym membership for a Peloton subscription or giving your team a $500 bonus to set up a home office.
Various reports and statistics highlight the benefits of workplace wellbeing strategies and programs.
Here are some of our favourites:
That last point is particularly startling; only around a quarter of businesses say improved growth was the primary motivator for implementing a workplace wellbeing strategy. In addition to the statistics listed, we also know that job seekers are increasingly looking for what benefits and wellbeing support prospective new employers offer and that job adverts highlighting these attract more candidates of a higher calibre.
All things considered, it’s clear that developing a workplace wellbeing strategy is a win-win.
Yet, implementing one is challenging. Unfortunately, many businesses implement generic initiatives that are "one size fits all" or introduce wellbeing programs that don't address the specific needs of their employees.
Here are five steps to help your business get it right.
Before you consider what to put in your workplace wellbeing strategy, it pays to develop a robust framework that underpins what you're about to do. Simply saying "we need an employee wellbeing strategy" and mindlessly creating it won't end well.
Instead, consider the following:
Unless you're the CEO pushing for the development of a workplace wellbeing strategy, you'll likely need to do a lot of managing upwards and selling of the idea before you get the go-ahead. You'll need to ensure you get the necessary support, budget, and resources to deliver an effective programme, too.
The best way to do this is by using your internal data. This approach is far more desirable than using industry benchmarks; you’re trying to create a bespoke strategy tailored to your team and business, after all!
If you use HR software in your business, it will be easy to gather the data you need. Valuable datasets to gather when developing your workplace wellbeing strategy include:
These sources should give you a significant body of evidence and insight from which you can start to develop your workplace wellbeing strategy.
When you have presented your case for a workplace wellbeing strategy – and hopefully got the go-ahead to do it – you can start to develop the strategy itself.
You will need to think about the below.
Are you looking to address a specific element of employee wellbeing, or do you want to provide a generalised offer to your team? You may have one umbrella objective or several smaller objectives that consider different strands of what you want your strategy to be.
How much funding can you commit to developing your strategy, and what internal and external resources are required to deliver it? You should also clarify who is responsible for delivering your workplace wellbeing program and ensure everyone in your team knows what's expected.
How will you measure the success of your workplace wellbeing strategy, and what would success itself look like? Think about the datasets you will use to sell the idea of introducing a workplace wellbeing strategy. For example, reducing absence or employee turnover by a certain percentage is a measurable potential goal of your strategy.
Knowing the metrics you'll measure will help you:
The fun part! What are you actually going to offer? The best approach is often to start small and then add other features later. For example, if your research overwhelmingly pointed to two or three things your employees are looking for, focus on these first. Once your employees are engaging with your program, you can add other features in a few months. Such an approach also means your offer keeps evolving and always has something new for your teams to take advantage of.
Depending on what you're going to offer, you might need to partner with a health insurer, wellbeing partner, or another third party. Look at how you can engage with local providers to deliver your wellbeing program. Equally, don't be scared to look globally if that's what's needed to help you achieve your objectives.
When you’re ready to launch your workplace wellbeing strategy, you need to make a big deal about it! Don't just send an email around saying, "By the way, this is now part of your employment package."
Things you can do include:
The biggest mistake you can make is implementing a workplace wellbeing strategy and thinking "job done."
What will truly make your program a success is continually evaluating what's working, what isn't, and evolving your strategy according to your employees' needs. Avoid becoming complacent even if your internal surveys show increasing levels of employee engagement and job satisfaction. You can still do even more and add or tweak new initiatives to your wellbeing strategy. Don't stand still, or you'll quickly be left behind!
While adopting a workplace wellbeing strategy is undoubtedly worthwhile, it can also be hard work and put an additional burden on team members already working extremely hard. One option might be to choose an "off the shelf" solution, such as an EAP administered by a third party. Alternatively, you may look at ways to combine your workplace wellbeing initiatives with other benefits, like international health insurance if you work cross-border or have a significant expat workforce.
What will your workplace wellbeing strategy look like? If you already have one, how could it evolve to become even better?