How to create a well-being strategy

It’s all very well for a business to have a marketing strategy, a financial strategy, and even a business development strategy, but there’s one kind of strategy that every business (large or small) should commit to – a unique Well-Being Strategy.

It doesn’t take a genius to know that if employee well-being is low, we risk reduced productivity or losing employees from their roles; let’s face it, employee turnover is incredibly expensive.
If you really want to aid recruitment, and retention, and breed a culture where staff feel valued and cared for, then a Well-Being Strategy is your absolute must.

Here’s what to consider:

1. Know what it is that your staff want. Too many firms create wellbeing strategies without really understanding how employees feel and what might benefit them. Have discussions, create feedback, and truly commit to producing a strategy which speaks of the very issues which your staff face everyday.
2. Consider what health and wellbeing benefits are in place already. Before you completely chuck the bath water out, look with brutal honesty at what is working and what is not. Assess any existing Employee Assistance Programmes. Make sure that what you have in place serves people better than simply at crisis stage.
3. Share and compare. Don’t be afraid to chat to peers in the business community about what they do and don’t do. Rely on your established network for insight. Turn to other leaders you admire.
4. Bring in external specialists if you feel it would be of longer term benefit to succeed at this task. Sometimes, our own PAYE employees may not have the specialist skills to create such strategies from scratch. External consultants can give you a healthy new perspective.
5. Embed what you agree. Ensure that all staff understand that time and commitment will be put into bringing your strategy into play. Communicate those changes internally and allow staff to share their views at all stages of the process.
6. Assess and amend as needed. Don’t make a strategy and think you’ve ticked the box. Continually reflect on whether it still works or whether elements need to change. You might even appoint ‘ambassadors’ or ‘champions’ to repeatedly report back on what is working well or less well.