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Nearly every company’s strategic plan now includes employee wellbeing. Remote work has helped to understand how employees want a greater purpose that speaks of connection and support. The U.S. corporate wellness market is now estimated at $20.4 Billion and projected to grow to $87.4 Billion by 2026 (both statistics based on a February 20,22 report). Article by ReportLinker).
Companies must embed wellbeing in all aspects their people strategies in order to respond to the effects of the pandemic on work life. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and DevelopmentsHealth and Wellbeing Report 2021It was clear that there was a strong correlation between investment in this area and retention, productivity, and overall satisfaction.
According to a survey, 55% expect that the Great Resignation will accelerate into the first quarter this year. Survey by Korn FerryA recent example is. Oracle reportIt was suggested that higher salaries and more perks might not be sufficient motivation. 88% of Oracle employees surveyed felt that the definition of “successful” has changed for them. People today are more concerned about work-life balance, mental well-being, and purpose.
It is clear that organizations invest in people to ensure their success. But what are the best ways to do this?
Related: 10 Leadership Essentials 2022
1. Establish wellness discussions among employees
Regular check-ins are a great place to start. A healthy-environment roadmap can be built by examining the motivations of individuals to improve their performance and health. Asking staff the following questions can help leaders discover ways to improve workplace wellness.
“What is your true concern when it comes to your health and lifestyle?”
What drives you to take action in this area?
What principles would your design principles be if you were designing a wellness program for yourself?
Can you identify strategies to capture the interests and needs for different team members.
What benefits or measures can you recommend to improve employee wellbeing?
How would you determine if you have achieved wellbeing marks? Do you have any suggestions about how to track progress?”
2. Mental health is a priority
Even though people’s lives are becoming more connected, working from home can create unique stressors (including isolation). Therefore, it is important to invest in both your physical and mental health. Leaders can start by de-stigmatizing mental health issues at the executive level through discussions in strategic plans with the goal of ensuring that all employees have access to services and tools.
Leaders can create environments that empower employees to ask for help and give them the tools to manage their mental well-being. There are many options to choose from, including free counselling and stress-reduction techniques, to mental health workshops and training.
Related: How to recognize burnout in your employees
3. Set an example
Leaders set the tone in workplaces for mental well-being. If employees don’t see leaders taking time off or aren’t able to sustain their pace, this can be considered unacceptable and unsustainable.
Naomi Osaka, Olympic gymnast and tennis professional, pulled out of sporting events due to mental illness. This led to a helpful and global discussion. Organizational leaders can learn a lot from it, not least about how important it was for everyone to recharge.
Being a leader by example means acknowledging the fact that you are still learning and trying to improve yourself. Honest conversations create psychologically safe environments.
4. Managers can be trained in mental health to become level-ups
Leaders need to make it a priority to train themselves and others in how they can recognize when people are experiencing mental health problems and how to support them. Training should include a focus on how managers encourage individuals to speak up about their mental health and how to respond quickly. Managers need practical tools to help them deal with difficult situations.
5. Accept psychological safety
People can take risks without feeling afraid by cultivating an open environment. It allows people to work at their best and encourages sharing of experience. Psychologically safe environments encourage open and honest discussion about workplace improvement and mental wellbeing. Leaders can increase psychological safety by asking for feedback and being open to failure, and creating a culture that allows everyone to speak.
Related: 7 Ways to Inspire Employee Engagement and Boost Your Bottomline
6. Be present for the whole person
The pandemic opened up opportunities for workplaces that focus on more aspects of employee health. Good leaders support staff members who have to care for loved ones or other areas of life.
This is one innovative way that some organizations address this need. Lifestyle spending accountsLSAs are a tool for recruiting new employees and an incentive to existing ones. They compensate for financial, emotional and physical wellness expenses. Student debt relief or short-term loans are another option. This is for those who have unexpected costs, such as car repairs. Employers will be less concerned about their credit scores if they can arrange for and deduct repayments via payroll processes. Offering incentives such as $50 per person per month, which can be used to pay for any health-related costs, is another option.
7. Upskilling employees
Employee career growth depends on continuous education. This should be integrated into the company’s time. All staff members can improve by creating a learning culture. This is why it is important to lead by example. It could be as simple a leader sharing the most recent article, upskilling YouTube video, or course completed.
According to a 2021 PwC ReportIt is expected that 40% will need to reskill by 2025. Soft skills, such as communication and leadership, are more in demand than digital skills.
Related: How can an entrepreneur increase productivity by upskilling or re-skilling
8. A holistic culture of well-being
Building trust and relationships with coworkers is possible by making meaningful connections and encouraging open discussions that are infused with empathy and compassion. It is important to take the time to get to know your co-workers outside of work. This will help you establish trust and lead to improved work performance.
Virgin uses AI to engage its employees: a virtual trip calledThe Great AdventureThat addresses personal health needs and wellbeing. AskNicely, an international SaaS platform, created Nice Days, which allows staff to take time for mental wellness. This is in addition to its standard leave and “Work from Anywhere,” travel incentives that allow staff to work together from anywhere in the world.
The bottom line is that creating a culture where people feel happy and healthy increases performance and profitability.