Talent & Growth presented by The Animo Group

Looking After Employee Wellbeing with Cat McClay & Rhiannon Barr

Thu Jul 06 2023

Employee Well-beingLeadership EngagementWork EnvironmentFinancial Well-beingProactive SupportLine ManagersEngaged WorkforceCommunication and FeedbackPositive Work Culture

Description

The episode discusses the importance of employee well-being in the current challenging times. It explores strategies for evolving well-being initiatives, leadership engagement, creating a supportive work environment, financial well-being, and promoting employee well-being. The episode emphasizes the need for employers to actively support their employees' well-being and provides insights on how line managers and HR teams can effectively promote well-being. The episode concludes by highlighting the significance of an engaged and social team in creating a positive work culture.

Insights

Employee well-being is crucial for businesses

Treating people with respect and prioritizing well-being is important for both moral and commercial reasons. Organizations that offer great cultures and prioritize well-being have an opportunity to succeed.

Remote work brings both benefits and challenges

Remote work provides greater flexibility and autonomy, but it can also lead to loneliness and blurred boundaries. Companies need to evolve their wellness and well-being strategies to address these challenges.

Leadership engagement is key

Leaders who prioritize well-being create a culture of support and enhance the well-being experience. They should model healthy habits, openly discuss mental health, and discourage overworking and stress as the norm.

Supportive work environments promote well-being

Creating a supportive work environment involves leaders modeling good behavior, providing support initiatives for mental health, and promoting physical well-being through proper home workspaces and social activities.

Financial well-being is often overlooked

Financial well-being is a significant concern for many people. Employers should provide resources, support, and education on financial well-being to help employees navigate financial challenges.

Proactive support is crucial for employee well-being

Employers have a responsibility to actively reach out and provide support to employees. Regular conversations about well-being, leadership training for spotting burnout, and collaboration between HR, people team, and line managers are essential.

Line managers play a vital role in promoting well-being

Line managers should be trained to care for employees' well-being and have personal conversations with their team members. Collaboration between line managers and the people team is crucial for successful well-being strategies.

Creating an engaged workforce requires attention to hygiene factors

Hygiene factors like sick pay, holiday pay, job descriptions, workload management, and culture play a significant role in creating an engaged workforce. Regular communication and creating a sense of belonging are also important.

Regular communication and feedback are key

Regular communication with employees, engagement surveys, and action plans based on feedback help understand employees' needs and improve well-being initiatives. Awareness days can provide valuable resources for promoting well-being.

An engaged and social team contributes to a positive work culture

Having an engaged and social team is important for creating a positive work culture. HR forums, conversations about changes or new initiatives, and opportunities for self-reflection contribute to employee well-being.

Summary

Transcript

Introduction

00:00 - 07:26

The podcast is a replay of a live webinar discussing how to look after the well-being of your workforce.
The hosts emphasize the relevance of this topic in the current challenging times.
A free offer is mentioned for listeners to get a review and evaluation of their talent acquisition process.
Two guests, Kat and Riannon, introduce themselves and their companies.
Both companies prioritize employee well-being in their strategies and values.
The discussion starts with an assessment of employee well-being in general.
There is a belief that there has been progress in employee well-being, with employees being more vocal about their needs and employers recognizing the value of healthy and happy employees.
However, recent layoffs at big tech companies have raised concerns about the prioritization of employee well-being.

Importance of Employee Well-being

06:58 - 14:34

Well-being strategies should be non-negotiable for businesses, similar to holiday pay and statutory sick pay.
Treating people with respect and prioritizing well-being is important for both moral and commercial reasons.
Twitter and Meta handled layoffs differently, with Meta receiving positive feedback for their empathy and sympathy.
The focus on employee well-being has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Employers have a duty of care to their employees, and research shows that employee health affects business performance.
Organizations that offer great cultures and prioritize well-being have an opportunity to succeed.
The return to office conversation should consider different situations and how they can affect well-being.
Flexible working environments can open up opportunities for more people, but opinions on remote work vary.
Approaches to well-being initiatives need to evolve as the location of work evolves.
Remote working has benefits such as greater flexibility and autonomy, but it can also lead to loneliness and blurred boundaries.

Evolving Well-being Strategies

14:08 - 21:10

Remote work has provided greater flexibility and autonomy, allowing people to use commuting time for personal activities.
However, there has been an increase in loneliness and a blurring of professional home boundaries.
To address these challenges, companies need to evolve their wellness and well-being strategies.
Measuring employee well-being is important. One effective way is through monthly employee engagement surveys that incorporate NPS scores and qualitative data.
Using an engagement platform like OfficeVibe can help pinpoint pressure areas and shape initiatives.
One notable initiative is offering a company therapist who provides one session per month to all team members.
Other standard offerings include company sick pay, flexible working, team socials, and access to co-working spaces.
Communication is key in ensuring everyone understands the benefits available. Regular touchpoints like morning huddles and onboarding sessions are used to highlight these benefits.

Leadership Engagement and Support

20:41 - 27:37

Regularly remind employees of the benefits offered, such as well-being platforms and therapists
Include information about benefits in onboarding sessions for new employees
Make mental health resources easily accessible on an internal internet platform
Leadership engagement is crucial for well-being initiatives to succeed
Leaders should model healthy habits and openly discuss mental health
Leaders who prioritize well-being create a culture of support and enhance the well-being experience
At Adjal Cadence, the CEO and leadership team prioritize team health and well-being
Leaders should discourage overworking and stress as the norm
Lead by example to show that well-being is important in the business

Creating a Supportive Work Environment

27:16 - 34:19

Leaders at the company model good behavior by not sending messages on weekends or evenings, and by being disciplined about when they send and respond to messages.
The CEO sets an example by muting notifications and respecting his own time as well as others' time.
The leadership team openly talks about mental health, setting the tone for how the company discusses it.
The company provides support initiatives for mental health.
Physical wellbeing is seen as a holistic lifestyle approach that promotes good mental wellbeing and balance.
The company offers a home working allowance to ensure employees have healthy workspaces with proper ergonomics, lighting, and posture.
Employees can use co-working spaces to escape potential disruptions at home and participate in sports activities offered there.
The company organizes social activities throughout the year that promote physical activity and community building.

Financial Well-being

33:52 - 41:30

Creating a good workspace at home is important for physical well-being.
Some organizations provide gym discounts and health and well-being platforms for their remote teams.
Encouraging breaks and physical activity, such as walking meetings, can improve well-being.
Financial well-being is often overlooked but is a significant concern for many people.
Agile Cadence ensures fair pay, provided a one-off payment to support the team, and offers resources for financial concerns.
Research shows that low-paid workers are facing significant financial challenges during this period.

Supporting Employee Well-being

41:03 - 48:11

32% of people couldn't keep their homes, which is a significant number.
Financial support and resources are crucial for well-being.
The upcoming period will be financially challenging for the country.
The focus is on providing support, resources, and education on financial well-being.
Regular benchmarking ensures fair pay in line with the market rate.
Tailored approaches are taken based on the demographic of a younger workforce.
Support is provided for buying a home instead of focusing solely on pensions.
Rents in London are increasing, causing stress and financial strain for employees.
Assistance is offered to find new rental agreements and provide advice and guidance.
Exploring options like working with companies that offer financial well-being platforms with coaches and regular reviews.
Regular touchpoints, one-on-one meetings, and communication between HR and line managers help prevent burnout.
Coaching with line managers helps identify early signs of burnout or mental health deterioration.
Proactive support is provided to employees to catch issues early and provide necessary assistance.

Promoting Employee Well-being

47:52 - 54:57

Employers have a responsibility to actively reach out and provide support to employees, rather than waiting for them to come forward.
Being credible and following through on promises encourages people to seek support.
Consistently assessing headcount and ensuring targets are reasonable helps support employees.
Regular conversations about well-being and coping are important.
Signs of burnout include behavioral changes, disengagement, and mentions from colleagues.
Leadership training is crucial for spotting burnout in others.
Collaboration between HR, people team, and line managers is essential for promoting employee well-being.
Line managers need the right tools and support to effectively promote well-being.
Training line managers is important not just legally but also for the care of employees.

Supporting Line Managers and HR Teams

54:29 - 1:02:16

Line managers should be trained to care for employees' well-being, not just from a legal aspect.
A survey found that employees value catching up with their manager and having personal conversations more than any other well-being initiatives or perks.
Line managers and HR teams also need support and check-ins on their own well-being to avoid burnout.
Collaboration between line managers and the people team is crucial for successful well-being strategies.
When starting a well-being journey in a company, it's important to have leadership engagement and support, create a culture that encourages employee well-being, and provide tools and resources.
Basic factors like organizational structure, job design, and workload should be considered before implementing specific initiatives.
Engagement surveys are a good starting point to understand the team's needs and identify areas for improvement.
Action plans based on feedback can include employee assistance programs, mental health support, and other relevant initiatives.
Awareness days can provide valuable resources for promoting well-being within an organization.
Regular communication with employees is essential to understand their needs and provide what they're asking for within reason.
Hygiene factors like sick pay, holiday pay, job descriptions, workload management, and culture play a significant role in creating an engaged workforce.
Creating a sense of belonging through social interaction contributes to higher engagement levels among employees.

Conclusion

1:01:53 - 1:03:38

Having an engaged and social team is important for a more positive work culture.
Setting up a HR forum where employees can ask questions and discuss topics like diversity and inclusion can contribute to employee well-being.
Engaging in conversations with the team about changes or new initiatives helps them feel more in control and happier in their work life.
Next week's podcast will discuss how to set up a talent function from scratch, providing insights for those who need it and an opportunity for self-reflection.