Do you ever wonder why your team's morale seems low? Are you noticing more employees leaving than ever before? It could be tied to how well you're supporting their mental and holistic well-being through comprehensive employee well-being strategies.
The pandemic changed everything about work, including how employees view their overall physical health. It is critical that organizations stay in touch with their talent to determine how employee well-being strategies align with their current expectations. This is why organizations should consider how employees feel in regards to their physical wellness.
The Urgent Need for Holistic Employee Well-being Strategies
Since the pandemic, stress and employee burnout have actually increased. You might think that with COVID concerns easing up, stress would decrease. But it's actually been climbing, indicating a critical area for development in corporate wellbeing.
Burnout has jumped seven points in the last couple of years alone. The rise of workplace dissatisfaction also increases turnover as many search for a better fit, creating substantial risks for HR leaders.
Increased Workloads and Employee Isolation
It seems like, these days, employees are carrying more weight than ever. Post-pandemic workloads have jumped about 30% compared to pre-pandemic times.
A greater workload definitely contributes to added stress and burnout. The rise of remote work can lead to a lot of employee isolation too, if employee well-being strategies are not correctly planned and employees suffer due to this.
The Demand for Holistic Solutions
People are recognizing that their mental state connects to many aspects of their lives. If you're struggling with finances, your stress levels will likely go through the roof.
The same can be said for sleep issues or poor nutrition; what affects one area of your life also affects their mind and job performance. Therefore, comprehensive solutions addressing the person as a whole is something more people are expecting when thinking through employee well-being.
When we think of employee well-being strategies we should take a broader view in supporting team morale. Workplaces should implement approaches and resources for them that takes a much more inclusive look through employee wellbeing programs.
Why Holistic Approaches to Mental Health Work
When a company offers benefits that address different facets of an employee’s well-being, several key areas thrive. Organizations who have invested in employee well being typically benefit through more robust retention, job satisfaction, employee morale, and can also fix serious problems.
It shows in the turnover numbers too. At Nivati, their users average eight times better employee retention than those not using the platform, indicating they understand how to provide the proper wellness advice.
This also drives significant improvements in job performance. Customers are tracking these metrics through feedback surveys, demonstrating clear advantages from such a focus in those employee well-being strategies and supporting employee well-being.
Building a Stronger Company Culture
I believe one of the most important effects is a healthier workplace culture. Sending the message that your employees feel valued goes a long way, particularly when stigma still surrounds poor mental health.
Rather than solely discussing therapy in times of crisis, they focus on wellness areas. When you proactively manage well-being, they learn the benefits of sleep, financial health, and good nutrition which are all effective employee well-being strategies and improves employee wellbeing.
Six Key Dimensions of Holistic Well-being
Our approach focuses on six core aspects of well-being, all through the lens of mental health. I think employee well-being strategies should consider mental health in all cases as it relates to organizational culture.
These dimensions are as defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The six dimensions our team considers are:
- Mind.
- Body.
- Finance.
- Career.
- Social.
- Purpose.
Within these dimensions, employees can tap into a variety of support channels. Our programs offer support from registered dietitians to nurse, financial coaches or licensed therapists who know all there is to know when it comes to employee expectations in planning employee well-being strategies. By taking this holistic view of employee health you can better provide physical wellness programs and support to your employees.
I like that our team at Nivati also provides care beyond the normal offerings. Whether it's in group sessions, education, and training, our approach lets each user decide what's right for them, including when dealing with crisis support, therefore increasing their performance reviews.
Strategies to Promote Each Dimension of Employee Well-being
Here's a quick dive into some tactical ideas across each dimension and driving employee well-being.
Mind
Start by offering access to resources, such as mindfulness apps or stress management programs. Also be sure to run workshops and courses aimed at fostering these approaches and employee well-being, this can reduce work-related stress.
For leaders, start discussions around mental health, which may have a strong impact on the talent as it provides an environment for openness and may lead to better implementation of future employee well-being strategies.
Body
One way to support wellness of the employee includes nutritional counseling or fitness challenges. For example, this article discusses empowering employee well-being and nutrition in an easy-to-follow approach.
A workplace is about more than just compensation, therefore employers must focus on providing personalized suggestions through workshops or materials tailored to varying activity levels when considering employee well-being strategies and physical health.
Finance
One approach I often advocate is promoting financial literacy. By working together, you and I are providing better clarity as organizations who do so well are also the main players behind strong talent acquisition strategies, so focusing on this can have an added value of creating brand equity to attract potential employees who will make those well informed decisions about if your company is the best for them. Leaders address this when thinking of employee recognition.
From here you can also improve areas through budgeting tools and debt counseling to boost confidence when thinking of employee well-being. In addition to boosting confidence through well formed financial strategies, you can improve employee wellbeing.
Career
Make sure to provide internal resources for career coaching that lets people refine career progression. Creating programs around mentorship may be a wise, practical strategy and may serve as a creative employee well-being action that attracts like-minded people as new hires. Leaders address the value of career development when planning employee well-being strategies.
Additionally, giving skill development programs or professional certifications shows dedication and drives revenue. This creates a talent magnet within your team as each area provides an incredible level of depth and good health. Mentorship and support is a key part of an individuals development plan, and should be something leaders address in organizational culture.
Social
Foster connections by organizing group events. Create virtual social events for remote teams too; not all events must be in person and that alone serves a unique purpose. The goal is to foster open channels with your talent as this opens discussions and improvements across your workplace regarding future strategies. When employees are managed appropriately, this will foster positive relationships.
Recognize key values while encouraging inclusive teams and the benefits might be felt more broadly for these tailored approaches when you incorporate them when managing employee well-being strategies, ultimately improving employee engagement.
Purpose
Many organizations partner with employee talent by connecting opportunities with individual values. Many have shown an emphasis on employee led projects that foster purpose, supporting employees.
The effect shows team employee morale improves when staff members take pride from what they do. By matching your employee talents, individual contributions and roles at the workplace together through a lens of open communication the benefits you will reap from those inclusive discussions by improving employee engagement.
Nivati: Your Partner in Holistic Well-being
Thinking ahead, prioritizing a whole-person approach to mental health is essential and drives employee wellbeing. What you consider at work should be matched in life for a lot of people, especially if the brand wants to position itself towards open lines of communications and high regard for their people. Employees now more than ever are not only focused on what is best to support their overall selves at a professional perspective but personal as well and supporting employees.
At Nivati, our solutions are tailor made to make it easier for employees and businesses to manage what matters in cultivating a healthy work environment for all of our employee talent, especially across companies that want a strategic competitive advantage through an employee wellbeing program. If this sounds like you, talk to our team about a practical path forward to planning more advanced employee well-being strategies at your organization and what makes sense with Nivati solutions today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the common questions about employee wellbeing and creating an employee wellbeing program:
- What are the key elements of a successful employee well-being strategy?
A successful strategy incorporates multiple dimensions of well-being such as mental, physical, financial, career, social, and purpose. It should be inclusive, accessible, and regularly evaluated based on employee feedback to meet their needs and expectations, and leaders address this in organizational culture.
- How can employers measure the effectiveness of their well-being programs?
Effectiveness can be measured through various methods, including employee surveys, participation rates in programs, health metrics, turnover rates, and performance data. Analyze the data to identify areas of improvement and adjust the strategy accordingly as part of a solid business strategy.
- What role does leadership play in promoting employee well-being?
Leadership plays a critical role. When leaders prioritize their own well-being, communicate openly about mental health, and actively participate in well-being initiatives, they create a supportive culture. This will improve employee engagement, reduce work-related stress, and create a positive team dynamic for talented employees.
- How can technology be used to support employee well-being initiatives?
Technology can provide access to mental health resources, fitness programs, financial planning tools, and social connection platforms. It can also facilitate remote monitoring of employee well-being through wearable devices and apps and promote a healthy work-life balance, by supporting employees.
- What are some common barriers to employee well-being and how can they be overcome?
Common barriers include stigma around mental health, lack of time, inadequate resources, and poor management support. Overcoming these barriers requires creating a supportive culture, providing flexible work arrangements, increasing awareness, and training managers to prioritize employee well-being by creating work arrangements and providing employee recognition.
Conclusion
More than ever, your team members require robust, varied ways of feeling supported with good health. Because so many still navigate different aspects of post-pandemic uncertainty and increasing pressures, it's no longer enough to offer simple solutions as part of employee well-being efforts, if you take note from common workplace trends and wellness programs.
Remember that strong strategies support the individual as a whole, especially when managing the key ingredients through different approaches and resources such as Nivati or additional professional counseling to give talent access that caters to employee's mind, body, finance, career, social circle and even their intended purpose.
Remember that companies who proactively champion employee well-being across diverse measures is a smart strategy when they proactively manage comprehensive employee well being efforts and other needs so that workplace professionals remain proactive when building brand trust through employee wellbeing programs and meaningful change.
