The New Year offers a fresh perspective and an ideal opportunity to re-evaluate your business strategy. Supporting the wellbeing of your people makes up part of this picture.
It can be that well-intentioned businesses invest in this however are unsure how to gauge effectiveness. When you spend time and money and want to promote a positive outcome, isn’t it good to be able to recognise it? Having an effective Wellbeing Strategy in place, that aligns with your overall Business Strategy, ensures you can track the results you hope for.
The following three steps will offer guidance to your success.
1. Needs and measurability:
Seeing “Results” means you have worked from a baseline of needs and incorporated measurability. As we emerge from the pandemic your people’s needs will have changed. Revisit your goals – flexing is critical to your results.
“The pandemic is increasing demand for mental health services. Bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones. Many people may be facing increased levels of alcohol and drug use, insomnia, and anxiety.” WHO
Measurability can be noticed in staff morale which can be difficult to gauge in hybrid circumstances. Whilst we all try to maintain connection dually online and in person, metrics through data at this stage is invaluable.
Simple metrics for you to watch:
- Participation rates
- Wellbeing Initiative feedback
- Intention to change behaviour
- Specific health impacts
- Employee engagement scores
- Specific sickness and absence causes and duration
2. Accountability:
Re-evaluate the time and resource allocation originally given to your wellbeing lead. Post Covid – this role has developed into so much more. Bolting the “wellbeing” role onto an existing role may not give it the time needed.
Equally when the role is shared amongst a team of people, be clear on exactly who these people are and who is responsible – you don’t this function to fall through the cracks.
Your Wellbeing Lead/Team is instrumental to linking the wellbeing strategy to the overall business objective. Consider an Annual Wellbeing Report interspersed with quarterly leadership updates.
Keeping the business leadership and senior management aligned with this vision will help spur on motivation for participation. Ultimately accountability sits with everyone in your business including your employees. They have a responsibility for looking after their own health and wellbeing. Supporting them to take ownership can be achieved through clear communication of what benefits are available to them and encouragement and permission to get involved.
3. Mental Health:
Considering Mental Health (MH) specifically, it is crucial to recognise how mental health both positive and poor are perceived within your business. This will vary for each individual and is influenced by culture, backgrounds, physical being and life experience to name a few.
If you’ve invested resource into training staff as Mental Health First Aiders, yet no one is engaging with them it could be:
A. Lack of diversity in your MH team. Training team members from all parts of the business is an important consideration in honouring the “not one size fits all” principle.
- Does everyone know where to go to access support?
- Would everyone in the business be able to identify with someone in the Mental Health Support team? Appealing to different groups is important as this will influence participation.
B. Have you marketed your MH protocols regularly enough including different ways of communication?
- Does your support messaging include different languages, cultural perspectives and consider accessibility for all?
- Are managers familiar with all protocols and do they have some kind MH training too? They are the ones in contact with your people regularly and are well positioned to notice signs and signpost.
By conducting a regular re-evaluation of your wellbeing strategy means you spend your time and budget wisely and your staff receive the help and support needed.
References
Diversity and difference (Mind)
Employee Wellbeing measurement and metrics (The Prince’s Responsible Business Network)
Maintaining staff morale while remote working (Perkbox)
Measuring-the-impact.pdf (mhfaengland.org)
This article is written by Leigh McKay, Wellbeing consultant and Mental Health First Aider Instructor
