4 proven ways to build a culture of well-being

If you’re an employer and you believe free snacks, ping-pong tables, and discounted gym memberships are enough to create a healthy work culture, you might want to think again. While these perks are great to have and can help make employees’ work lives more enjoyable, they won’t create a culture of wellness. 

Investing in corporate wellness: why it matters

Your employees’ well-being has a direct impact on your business. Here’s how:

• Employee wellness is directly linked to productivity. A healthy employee is a productive employee. Employees who are struggling mentally are less likely to be productive at work, more likely to see their performance decline, and are at greater risk of burning out.

• Investing in wellness today can reduce health costs tomorrow. It’s more cost-effective to promote employee wellness than to pay for employee illness. Employees who aren’t at their best are more likely to miss work, be present but not functioning at full capacity, or go on short-term disability leave.

• A culture of well-being attracts and retains top talent. With the current talent shortage, jobseekers are spoiled for choice. This means that employers who don’t foster well-being in the workplace may have trouble attracting and retaining the best people, leading to a high turnover rate.

4 steps to building a workplace that promotes well-being

Fostering workplace well-being doesn’t necessarily require large financial investments. In fact, some of the most effective strategies simply require a shift in priorities. Here are four things you can do that will have a significant impact on the well-being of your employees.

1. Focus on flexibility

Today’s employees are less interested in working a traditional 9-to-5 job. Flexibility is a top priority as it lets them manage their other commitments, strike a better work-life balance, and work where they’re most productive, whether that’s at home, in the office, or on the go. 

As an employer, offering work flexibility gives you a leg up on the competition. It will help you attract talent and lead to greater employee satisfaction, ensuring you’ll be able to retain your hard-won employees.

2. Build a healthy leadership culture

A healthy corporate culture begins with its leaders: they set the tone for the entire organization. That’s why it’s so important to invest in leadership training. You should also focus on hiring and promoting supportive and empathetic people with strong leadership skills, rather than those who wield power and micromanage. Finally, make sure to hold managers accountable for their actions through feedback tools, such as employee satisfaction surveys.

3. Give employees a voice

Building a culture of well-being means giving your employees a voice. Start by creating a safe space where employees can share and receive feedback through anonymous forms or surveys and regular dialogue, whether in person or online. 

It also means empowering your employees. Get them involved in determining what projects they want to work on, identifying what they feel passionate about, and deciding how they want to develop their skills and advance their careers.

An inside look at how Dialogue listens:

What would you do if you were CEO for the day?

That’s the question we asked Dialogue employees—and they answered. The initiative generated hundreds of interesting suggestions! As a result, we committed to implementing three extra mental health days per employee, plus half-day Fridays during the summer! We’ll be rolling out more ideas over the coming year and beyond.

4. Address the issues that matter

Yes, employees enjoy free snacks and discounted gym memberships, but what they really want is a benefits package that meets their real-life needs in terms of their physical and mental health. 

Today’s employees also appreciate a modern, digital-first employee assistance program that’s easy to use and available around the clock to help them manage things like stress, financial questions, and work-related issues. 

Make employee well-being a top priority today

Dialogue’s Integrated Health Platform™ includes primary care, a mental health program, and an employee assistance program all wrapped up in one. This comprehensive platform makes it easy for employees to get the help they need, when they need it, through a single login. Employees enjoy its ease of use, which leads to higher engagement and, in turn, a greater return on investment and simpler management for organizations than multiple standalone programs.

Learn more about how Dialogue can help you build a culture of wellness in your organization.