Are your wellbeing initiatives hitting the spot? Five things to think about

Amba

Getting wellbeing right for employees is crucial if you want a happy, engaged workforce. How can you be sure that your wellbeing programme is hitting the spot?

If you take employee wellbeing seriously, here are five things to consider.

  1. Your employee demographic. Are they baby boomers, gen X or millennials? What makes people happy can vary according to their generation. Baby boomers, for example, set quite a high store by spiritual wellbeing, so meditation and mindfulness could be important to them. Millennials, on the other hand, find emotional and social wellbeing important, so offering support and opportunities to mix could make a difference.
  2. Some aspects of wellbeing score highly across the board. Physical wellness matters, with on-site gyms, medical support and wearable devices that track physical activity appealing to over 62% of employees. Some form of physical activity is likely to be important to most people.
  3. What can you offer on-site? Making wellbeing accessible is likely to encourage take-up. Vaccinations, fitness classes and massage can all be delivered in the workplace, and could attract up to 50% of your employees.
  4. Sometimes the simplest and least expensive interventions can help. Free fruit appeals to 49% of employees – a simple, quick win, although of course this has to be part of a wider approach.
  5. Having said all this, don’t assume you know what your employees need. Why not conduct a wellbeing audit? After all, your employees are probably the best experts on their own wellbeing. An independent study by an impartial third party will elicit some honest, clear responses from employees on every aspect of the business that needs to change.

This last point is really crucial, and often overlooked. There’s no point in rushing in without taking the temperature of the organisation first. Asking employees what they need lays the foundation for a targeted strategy that will increase engagement – because it starts with listening rather than doing.

Need help with your wellbeing programme? Contact us and we’ll be delighted to advise.

*Source of statistics: Employee Engagement & Benefits, Raconteur Media