Beyond the paycheck: Do you invest in Employee wellbeing?

Keywords: #Presenteeism #well-being #personalized #custom #bespoke #tailor-made #recommendations #unique #interests

1.     Are there opportunities in your organization to learn with successful wellbeing programs and trainings?

2.     Are there potential areas for improvement in your approach to employee wellbeing?

3.     How can we elevate our workplace wellbeing strategy to the next level?

Introduction

Many organizations fall short with a "one-size-fits-all" approach to employee wellbeing. While offerings like fruit baskets, intranet resources, and quarterly events might seem well-meaning, they often land as shallow attempts at box-ticking. The truth is, one-size-fails-all. We all bring unique experiences and needs, both inside and outside of work. Some may thrive on exercise, while others dread it. Some navigate parenthood, while others have different family structures and history. Similarly, cooking skills vary greatly. A broad brush approach simply doesn't cut it when it comes to employee wellbeing.

To truly make a difference, companies need to personalize their strategies. This means recognizing and catering to diverse needs. By doing so, companies can empower their workforce, creating a more engaged and healthy environment where everyone feels supported and valued, not just like a tick on a checklist.

To better address the topic of employee wellbeing, it's important to first understand the current experiences, concerns and challenges of the global workforce in managing their wellbeing at work.

The current state of employee wellbeing

· Access to health & wellbeing programs has declined significantly since the initial stages of the pandemic.

· Over 1 in 5 employees of the global workforce feels a lack of personal connection with their employers.

· Data suggests that around 20% of businesses lack targeted programs aiming to enhance employee well-being.

· Only 21% of employees are engaged, highlighting a widespread concern regarding employee engagement in the workplace.

· More than 40% of employees globally grapple with workplace stress, impacting their mental and physical health, as well as job satisfaction and performance.

· 52 of workers continuing to work while unwell due to factors like job insecurity and lack of paid sick leave.

· 61% of employees express a desire for their employers to prioritize and invest in health & wellbeing initiatives.

· A top issue that needs to be tackled, especially among remote workers is ‘Presenteeism’

Two common challenges that can hinder the effectiveness of well-being strategies include:

1] Wellbeing? It's more than just physical!

If you’re encouraging your employees to take part in a company ‘sports day’ when they have a hidden disability, you won’t be creating the inclusive culture you’re hoping for.

Half of the global population are extremely or very concerned about the state of their finances right now.

So, telling an employee to focus on their physical health when they really need support with their financial wellbeing isn’t going to offer much help.

Wellbeing also includes:

1.     Mental

2.     Financial

3.     Nutritional

4.     Environmental

5.     Social

6.     Spiritual

2] Accessibility matters

Now people are able to work from home, their office might be their spare or even their own bedroom. Or maybe they work on the retail floor. Or on the road. Or in a warehouse during the night.

Your wellbeing initiative must cater to your employees’ circumstances. It needs to be accessible to all.

· In-office perks won’t motivate those on the road

· A company midday event won’t work for those working from home

· A library of wellbeing books won’t work for visual learners

· A guided meditation podcast won’t work for those who learn from reading

You need a personalized, holistic solution.

The power of personalization

People expect personalization.

When we tune in to Netflix, we’re shown recommendations of films and series based on our interests. Spotify creates personalized listening experiences for every member because, ultimately, they know every single listener is unique.

The keywords to look out for: “personalised”, “custom”, “bespoke”, “tailor-made”, “recommendations”, “unique”, and “interests”.

To engage your members and keep them participating in your wellbeing initiatives, you need to appeal to their interests. To do this, you need to look at wellbeing with a ‘whole person approach’ lens.

The 5-step ‘whole person’ approach to employee wellbeing

Step 1: Educate your people about the importance of their wellbeing

Step 2: Empower employees to evaluate their own wellbeing

Step 3: Offer the right tools and support to cater to individual needs

Step 4: Equip managers to be role models to their team by taking part too

Step 5: Keep your leadership team involved and communicating about wellbeing

The Future of Work: Enhancing Employee Well-being with Personalized Technology

Around 7 billion of the world's population now carries a smartphone in their pocket. That’s almost 90% of the entire human population.

Imagine a salesperson closing a deal on the train, a designer finalizing a project from their couch, and a technician troubleshooting an issue on the factory floor. What unites them? They all have the tools they need to excel, right at their fingertips. Instead of having to go out and find wellbeing support, they get instant access, whenever they need it.

Employee: Feels uninspired and struggles to find the motivation to tackle their workload.

Solution: They can explore a curated selection of motivational talks, podcasts, or articles from successful individuals to reignite their passion and purpose.

Employee: Feels disconnected from colleagues due to remote work and misses the social interaction.

Solution: They can join a virtual coffee chat group or participate in online team-building activities to foster connection and belonging.

The best way to provide wellbeing is by putting it in their pocket! A mobile-friendly platform gives employees the tools to thrive.

· More inclusive access

· Daily nudges, tips, and reminders sent as notifications

· Targeted communication

· Instant access to fun challenges

· Easier ways to connect with teams

Have queries related to employee well-being? Connect with me on Aaskrishi@gmail.com.

Cheers,

Jagmohan Rishi Singh

http://linktr.ee/jagmohanrishi