As health and mental wellness in the workplace becomes an even hotter topic, HR leaders must invest in initiatives that improve morale and office productivity as a result. Creating a roadmap to positively impact employees will prove crucial as office trends like workplace burnout and The Great Resignation persist. With time and attention, maintainable results are attainable.
In this blog, we’ll cover the necessary steps HR leaders can take to ensure long-term employee wellness. Let’s dive in.
Feedback, feedback, feedback
Feedback is crucial to gauge the success of any wellness initiative. Use feedback to better understand what your employees want from wellness initiatives such as yoga, mental health days, no meetings weeks or PTO as an incentive. This can allow opportunities for participating employees to get the most out of workplace wellness.
Consider an approach of verbal and non-verbal feedback for all voices to be heard. Post-activity group conversations or anonymous suggestions can be useful tools, but the most effective feedback method will depend on an office’s work culture.
Consistency in feedback is vital in finding desired outcomes, and it benefits both the employer and employees. Collecting feedback creates a drive for initiative, innovation and improvement. One organization’s feedback loop may look different than another’s, so finding the right groove may take time. Nonetheless, it’s important to prioritize identifying the correct feedback process in order to ensure the overall program is successful.
Lead by example
Supplying motivational quotes alone does not cut it. The most motivational thing leadership can do is show up and “walk the walk” – but what should this look like?
Leading by example can be incredibly powerful in supporting and encouraging employees. By personally participating in your organization’s wellness initiatives, leaders can set the tone for the program and ignite a broader employee interest. When employees see leadership engaging in activities such as 5k runs and conversations on burnout, they feel supported and inclined to participate more independently.
While it may not be feasible to participate in every wellness activity, show interest by sharing resources on the benefits of mindfulness for mental health, for example. Small acts can spark ongoing discussions and interests that can have prolonged effects.
Continue to set wellness metrics
Wellness affects employees’ physical and mental health, and it often can be a marker for employee performance and satisfaction at work. Setting metrics alongside wellness programs can gauge not only the success of the initiative but also help target pain points where employees need assistance. Setting and tracking quarterly metrics can detail the following:
- Productivity in conjunction with wellness
- Program participation
- How much and how often PTO is taken
- Employee turnover
Much like feedback, metrics should be tracked on a rolling basis or whenever feedback is presented. Indicative questions such as, “On a 1 to 10 scale, how stressed do you feel at work?” can display a correlation between program participation and overall workplace satisfaction. In tracking wellness metrics, Benefits Specialists can present the return on investment (ROI) for wellness initiatives to bolster longevity in administrative support and assist HR in retention goals.
Wellness in the workplace is a marathon, not a sprint. Implementing persistent goals and methods to maintain the program will ensure wellness and health initiatives are sustainable for years to come.
Interested in learning more about how to build a well-established wellness program in your workplace? Check out this WorkSmart blog on creating a solid foundation for wellness.
Recent Comments