This is our final post in our six-part series about what we are advising small and medium-sized employers to do right now to create a superior workplace. Our previous posts. Click here for Onboarding New Hires Effectively. Click here for Providing Growth Opportunities. Click here for Foster a Culture of Appreciate and Recognition. Click here for Stay Interviews. Click here for Managers – Make-Or-Break Factor in Employee Engagement.
In today’s article, we explore wellness, as a crucial recruitment and retention strategy.
Win with Wellness
Organizations can’t execute on their strategic goals if they don’t have the right people in place to do the work. Supporting mental health and wellness has become one of many crucial retention strategies for employees.
Many leaders underestimate how many of their workers have one foot out the door. In fact, our recent survey of more than 5,000 workers in Ontario revelated that 61% of respondents are a flight risk, with 38% open to the right opportunity and 23% actively looking. With findings like this, organizations need to focus on better employee retention in 2022.
What Drives Employees
Recent research highlights the following statistics about wellness programs and employee recruitment and retention:
- 87% of employees consider health and wellness packages when choosing an employer.
- 67% of employeeswho work for organizations with wellness programs like their jobs more and this same percentage is extremely or very likely to recommend their employer to others.
- Nearly 54% of Gen Zs and 58% of millennials consider company wellness programs important or extremely important when making a job decision.
- 45% of employees working at small to medium-size companies would stay at their jobs longer because of their employers’ wellness programs.
There’s no doubt about it: A well-executed wellness program works.
The benefits of a wellness programs are extensive and far-reaching, touching each stage of the employment lifecycle, from pre-hire prospects to tenured employees.
Enhanced Recruitment
- Job seekers today want and expect wellness offerings from their potential employers. 87% of employees said that wellness programs are important to them when considering whether to apply for an open position. That’s why enhanced recruitment is one of the biggest benefits of a wellness programs. By offering the right health and wellbeing resources, you can appeal to job seekers and gain a competitive hiring advantage over others in your area and industry.
Increased Engagement
- Increased employee engagement is another significant benefit of well-crafted wellness programs. When employers invest in the health and wellbeing of their workforce, it shows. Employees are more engaged at work, more satisfied in their roles, and more committed to sticking around for the long haul.
Improved Productivity
- Wellness programs can also increase productivity along with engagement. When employees are engaged, they’re typically more productive and alert on the job. In fact, 62% of employees with access to a wellness program said it increased their productivity at work.
Reduced Employee Stress
- According to a recent Workforces Report, stress management programs areone of the top five wellness offerings across employers.
Decreased Absenteeism
- Improving employees’ physical and mental health and reducing stress at work results in decreased absenteeism. When employees are healthy and happy, they take fewer sick and “mental health” days overall. A survey revealed that 56% of employees with access to a workplace wellness program felt itcut down on sick days.
Elevated Company Culture
- Corporate wellness initiatives can also create a company culture of health and wellbeing with healthy, engaged employees who serve as advocates for your program. Creating a culture of health is essential for improving the health, satisfaction, and productivity of your entire workforce.
How To Get Started
Starting an employee wellness program does not need to be overwhelming. A few simple steps will get you on the right path.
Research employee health problems and set goals – before setting up a wellness program, make sure you understand how it will help your company and the staff. Survey your employees to find out what types of programs they are interested in. You don’t want to roll out initiatives that your employees won’t engage in. Review health claim utilization so you know which medical conditions are affecting your employee population.
Create a wellness project team – After setting up goals for the wellness project, assemble a team to take care of the tasks that need to be done. The team will likely be led by Human Resources because it’s directly related to employees’ wellbeing, but make sure to include anyone who would want to help promote the program.
Plan the details of your wellness program – Now that you’ve collected data and created a project team, you can start brainstorming ideas and create a comprehensive plan to deliver your wellness program. Make sure to include any budget allowances, an execution strategy, and all necessary time frames.
Plan your communications – Once all the details are figured out for your new wellness program, make sure it’s announced to all employees so that they understand the importance of the program and what to expect.
Execute the program – Once you have your plan in place and everything has been communicated to your employees, it’s time to start implementing the wellness program. Remember to track data regularly and continuously ask employees for feedback.
Update and optimize the program – Your wellness program might have positive results right away, but there’s also the chance that it will need some adjustments. This is where employee feedback comes into play—make sure you ask employees for their feedback and new ideas so you can continue to optimize your wellness program and tailor it to their specific needs.
Final Words
A few more tips. To improve your recruiting and retention efforts:
- Make your wellness program part of your brand and promote your company culture to both job candidates and employees.
- Dedicate resources to promoting your wellness program both internally and externally.
- Use your intranet and/or internal e-newsletter to feature programs and employee success stories.
- Use social media, community events and public relations opportunities to get the message out about your program and culture of well-being.
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Between recruiting and retaining employees to managing employee performance, there are many challenges small and medium-sized businesses face when it comes to the responsibilities of HR management. Outsourcing your HR through First Avenue Consulting can help businesses save time and money and allow you to focus on growing your business.
Get affordable and complete HR support that’s right for your business needs. Contact us for a free consultation info@firstavehr.ca or by phone at 647-406-4476.
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