The wellbeing of employees is one of the most important issues that HR leaders and people professionals must tackle in the crazy world of today. But with employee expectations and needs changing rapidly, it can sometimes feel impossible to keep up.
Here are 3 things that HR teams need to know about employee wellbeing right now to stay ahead of the curve in 2023:
1. Culture is key
A company’s culture is so much more than offering a few perks like dress down Fridays or office table tennis tournaments in a bid to attract and retain talent. It’s the key to building a happy, healthy workforce.
When a work culture is toxic with poor communication, bad leadership and a lack of genuine support, workers are likely to experience high levels of stress, low self-esteem and a general negative impact on their mental health. This ultimately leads to anxiety, depression and burnout – is there any wonder that toxic work culture is THE number one reason people are leaving jobs?!
It’s time for organisations to tackle such toxicity head on through cultural change at a grassroots level, starting with making the workplace a safe, non-judgmental space where employees dare to open up about how they’re really feeling and the support that they need – not what the business thinks they need.
2. Quick fixes won’t fix it
Employees of today are arguably more stressed, overwhelmed and burnt out more than ever before thanks to the cost-of-living crisis, recession, global conflicts, the list goes on. All of which have led to a clear demand for more wellbeing support now than there was during Covid lockdowns.
But wellbeing support will only work when the flaws have been fixed at a cultural level. Think about it this way, what good is an ad-hoc stress awareness workshop if the conversation isn’t continued?
To make a long-lasting positive impact and see a valuable return on investment, organisations must steer clear of sticking plaster approaches and focus on embedding a full spectrum of wellbeing support that employees can access based on their individual needs.
That means covering all elements of wellbeing including mental, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, finance, intellectual and environmental.
3. There’s a need for HUMANITY
Leaders and managers themselves are a huge part of the employee wellbeing puzzle and to succeed in today’s work environment they must be more human.
Rather than working with employees from a distance, managers are expected to:
- Develop genuine relationships through frequent check-ins and open, honest conversations around wellbeing
- Build trust by evidently listening to employee needs, walking the walk not just talking the talk and showing their appreciation for staff through recognition and rewards
- Get their soft-skills up to scratch through suitable training to learn how to lead with compassion, inclusion and empathy.
Gone are the days of treating people like a number, a people-first approach is paramount.
Are you ready for what it means to look after employee wellbeing in 2023 and beyond?
The multi-award winning workplace wellbeing organisation, Key Wellbeing helps time-strapped HR leaders and people managers to implement meaningful, lasting change where employees feel seen, heard and supported with simple solutions that actually work.
To find out more, please visit: www.keywellbeing.co.uk
Written by: Hannah Draboczy, Marketing Lead, Key Wellbeing
