Like many other aspects of workplace culture and technology, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted how organizations communicate and execute on their wellness and well-being strategy. It was about time that this area of HCM received some attention, as the methods currently used (top-down communication and newsletters) were not sustainable in a digitized workplace.
How does your organization incorporate employee well-being into its everyday practices?
The biggest challenge that many organizations face is that the methods traditionally used to deploy and communicate well-being programs relied on employees working in the office or using outdated technology. The modern workforce demands self-service, on-demand technology and communication, and isn’t being given that level of accommodation when it comes to most well-being programs.
Measurable business results from well-being efforts go beyond reducing risks. To achieve full positive outcomes, however, well-being efforts must be communicated and recognized, and properly accessible to all interested parties. To be done properly at scale, this will require technology that is dedicated to well-being and the communication of benefits. When that is done correctly, major differences between organizations that practice well-being and those that do not can be identified.
Which business results can your organization tie to well-being efforts? (Top 3)
To provide their employees with the wellness and well-being they need, organizations must first decide what their business needs are and how those well-being efforts support that. Key questions organizations should address include:
- Who are the people responsible for well-being efforts and how are they held accountable for their success?
- How will you measure the impact of wellness and well-being on business metrics?
- What tools and technology are in place to support well-being efforts, in terms of communication and execution of programs?
- What will be the ultimate business impact of improving wellness and well-being efforts at your organization?
Communicate Well-being Using a Variety of Methods and Tools
Although the majority of organizations use top-down methods of communicating well-being efforts, through newsletters and leadership modeling, the modern workforce needs a wider array of methods for receiving well-being programs and updates. With the rising number of people working remotely, this is of greater importance but it was already becoming necessary because of cultural changes and the increased digitalization of all organizations.
Understand the Components of Well-being and Communicate Accordingly
Employee wellness and well-being programs can be grouped into three main categories: physical health and wellness, mental health and social needs. In this last category, many organizations are realizing how difficult it is to provide employees with what they need in remote environments. Privacy and security play a role in this challenge, but it also comes down to understanding the needs of employees who may not know what they need without being able to self-assess, which is where organizations come in by communicating the tools available to those employees.
Find Technology that Is Specifically Tailored for Well-being
An end-to-end HCM platform that can support wellness and well-being regardless of location is acutely necessary in the post-pandemic world. There are well-being solutions that are offered as stand-alone products, and well-being modules and add-ons exist for most of the major HCM suites. However, trying to adapt technology that is not designed to communicate well-being can be ineffective because of privacy and self-service concerns.
Decide on the Appropriate Metrics for Well-being
There may be many ways to measure the impact of well-being efforts, but without consistent agreement on what success looks like, many organizations will struggle to determine if they are receiving the best return-on-investment possible. Find the appropriate metrics that apply to the majority of departments and stakeholders, then settle on those that are tied to the business as a whole — and its goals.
