The COVID-19 pandemic caused immediate and massive disruption to the workforce. Everything from an employee’s daily routine, work security and family life was disrupted. Employers found they needed to quickly “lean in” to the “pandemic transformation” unfolding before them to support both the physical and psychological safety of their workforce. For many employers, the pandemic showed them a need to update their wellbeing strategies.
According to our 2021 Best Practices in Health Care Survey, half of employers’ report that they have not formally articulated a wellbeing strategy. Meanwhile, 74% of employers believe that in three years their wellbeing strategy will be transformed as a vehicle to compete for talent and customized to meet employee needs.
For decades employers provided wellness programs primarily focused on physical health. The programs emphasized prevention and awareness through health assessments and biometrics as well as efforts to engage employees through challenges and incentives.
However, behavioral economics taught us that incentives do not always lead to the intended or desired result. As a result, the siloed approach to physical health missed the mark, leading many organizations to consider a more holistic approach. The wellbeing transition began as employers realized that a physically healthy lifestyle is only one aspect that influences employee engagement.
Over the last several years before the pandemic, most organizations adopted a wellbeing approach built on the foundation of four pillars covering physical, emotional, financial and social wellbeing, which has helped them to organize and prioritize solutions.
Wellbeing continues to evolve. For example, many employers began to seek ways to include diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into their wellbeing programs. Employers understand it is important to consider how employees see the organization (including leaders and managers) in its daily interactions and commitment to the community.
With so many employers seeking to reimagine their wellbeing strategies as a result of the pandemic, we have identified five critical elements to consider:
01
Leadership support is critical to the success of a wellbeing program and capturing the voice of leadership is critical to long-term success. However, leaders and various stakeholders will have different priorities depending on the challenges they face. Nonetheless, most leaders agree that the employee experience is a foundational component of building a culture centered on wellbeing.
Start with how your leaders prefer to engage and capture their opinions. If there is hesitation, consider expressing the risk of not addressing key concerns, such as mental health, within the workforce population. Understand when and how key stakeholders would like to be part of the process whether taking ownership of the strategy or role modeling. Their support will be the foundation of a program’s success.
02
Wellbeing strategies are often limited by funding and people resources. Over 80% of wellbeing is managed and led by a benefits expert, according to our 2021 Best Practices in Health Care Survey. However, as employers incorporate their wellbeing strategy into a wider human capital strategy, the need for more diverse stakeholders across a range of expertise from DEI, talent, rewards, safety and HR is critical. Employers need all these stakeholders to coordinate appropriately across all the pillars of wellbeing. For example, a benefits manager responsible for wellbeing will need to coordinate with a safety department in order to include safety into the wellbeing strategy.
The following are some key stakeholders that are critical to a multi-dimensional governance structure:
03
Programs and policies are foundational to all wellbeing offerings. Taking a broad-based inventory of the solutions and resources available across all aspects of wellbeing is critical to understand the breadth of what currently exists and determine what is missing. It also provides insights into how programs are utilized from level of engagement, time of year and connections to other messaging or programs.
Compare what is offered today to what employees value. In what way can technology play a role in connecting the workforce with timely and personalized support? It is not enough to have the programs and policies in place if the delivery of those resources is not done effectively.
A relevant and efficient wellbeing strategy incorporates essential insights from employee focus groups and pulse surveys. Ask employees about the policies and programs in place. Do they value the solutions? Do they know the programs exist? These insights will provide the roadmap to simplifying the employee experience, aligning programs and policies and prioritizing goals and actions.
04
All organizations have a set of behaviors, or mindset, that shapes and reflects the organization. This mindset is made tangible through programs, policies and practices. It is experienced through personal connection and contribution. Think about the daily touchpoints that matter for employees and how they are influenced by the underlying principles, values, beliefs and assumptions that reflect and shape the culture.
Achieving a successful communication plan involves understanding through the lens of the employee and aligning the strategy with both the organizational and individual purpose. Leaders, managers and champions all play a key role in the employee experience, which is foundational to wellbeing strategy development and success.
05
Once you’ve identified the gaps and changes necessary to modernize or establish a new wellbeing strategy, you can begin to set a path forward that prioritizes the changes. And once those changes are made, the final step is to establish metrics to measure success and to monitor whether additional changes are needed.
There are different levels of measurement to consider:
Setting a clear expectation on measurement from the start will position your company to know when strategy refinement is necessary and further investment is warranted.
Taking the time to build an effective wellbeing strategy that is aligned with best practices, your company mindset and the employee culture will set up your program for success. This process provides the foundational criteria for selecting solutions that meet employee needs and can satisfy leadership expectations for the investment. When aligned with inclusion and purpose, efforts can expand beyond health to enhance employee loyalty and appreciation to their employers as well as further foster a positive work environment.
Finally, we recommend integrating your wellbeing strategy into the annual planning and strategy discussion to keep it top of mind and focused on the needs and priorities of your leaders, employees, and business.
