We’ve all had one of those jobs where the importance of wellbeing at work plays second fiddle to business goals.
Remember how you used to feel when the scales tipped in work’s favour, at the cost of your personal wellbeing? Frustrated, anxious and overwhelmed, no doubt.
At the end of the day, most professionals are aware that sometimes the work just needs to get done, and work is called ‘work’ for a reason. But for many businesses, focusing too hard on results at the expense of staff wellbeing can lead to some less than desirable outcomes: low morale, burnt out teams, increased sick days, high employee turnover rates, and dwindling commercial performance.
Let’s take a look at what’s involved with creating a wellbeing culture, why more and more B2B brands are starting to champion better wellbeing practices, and how to improve wellbeing at work.
Why is wellbeing important in the workplace?
Workforce wellbeing has never been more important. One recent survey from Deloitte found 84% of respondents said improving their wellbeing was a top priority for the year ahead, with 74% saying it’s more important than advancing their careers. Professionals want that perfect work-life balance, while companies know the value of holding onto top talent. Thankfully, most brands have woken up to this fact, and those that don’t, will get left behind.
From unreasonable workloads to long working hours, there are many factors that can cause stress and anxiety for teams. Working conditions and environment can hugely influence mental health, and significantly affect performance. Research from the Mental Health Foundation found 1 in 6.8 people experience mental health problems in the workplace, with evidence suggesting 12.7% of all UK sickness absence days can be attributed to mental health conditions. The Foundation also reports that this disproportionately affects women, with those in full-time employment nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem as full-time employed men.
Here at Pod, we’ve always tried our hardest to instil and nurture a culture of wellbeing. We may not always get it right, and there’s always room to further improve and refine it, but our efforts to date have been well rewarded and recognised. Just last year, The Marketing Pod was named one of the UK’s best workplaces for wellbeing by Great Place to Work®, ranking 14th out of 100.
“We believe a happy, healthy workplace is vital to both productivity and employee hiring and retention,” says Jodie Williams, one of Pod’s co-founders. “Our team culture has allowed us to thrive in extremely challenging times, and we are proud this was recognised in such a prestigious ranking.”
“Since day one, Pod has been built with people at its heart,” adds Jenny Hughes, Pod’s other co-founder. “We know wellbeing is the key to unlocking individual and collective potential. For instance, our recruitment process places a big emphasis on finding candidates that align with our values. This means that even as we expand, Pod’s wellbeing culture remains strong. I firmly feel our Podsters-first approach is the foundation for our continued success.”
In short, good wellbeing is good for business, leading to:
What does good wellbeing at work look like?
Investing in your employees health - both physically and mentally - and their ongoing wellbeing can reap long-term rewards. But what does this look like in practice?
There’s no one simple answer to this question. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a sound wellbeing strategy will likely include training opportunities, remote working, effective line management, diversity and inclusion, a clear company mission statement and values that resonate with your team, the chance to mentor and coach… the list goes on.
Sometimes, it’s just about having that extra bit of flexibility. For instance, Rosamund Bull, one of Pod’s client account directors, is an enthusiastic beekeeper in her spare time, and was recently invited by a local nursery to talk about this hobby to help them mark World Bee Day.
“Because my diary was meeting-free, I immediately said yes,” she explains. “I didn't have to check with anyone, because I knew this kind of pursuit would be supported by Pod. Having that sense of autonomy is a fundamental part of my wellbeing. In this case, it meant I was able to spend an hour with the nursery’s children, which was the most rewarding and wholesome experience; I pretty much floated back to work afterwards.”
Looking after your employees’ wellbeing becomes especially important when a team member goes through a challenging time, as Jen Sutton, one of our account managers, testifies: “Earlier this year, I very sadly had a miscarriage. It was a difficult time, but Pod reacted with kindness and care. They gave me the time I needed for not only appointments, but to process what had happened too. We arranged regular check-ins, so they could see how I was doing, with no mention of work - they simply put me and my partner, Henry, first."
“To know I was fully supported through it all was a huge relief. I know Pod genuinely has my best interests at heart.”
By placing wellbeing as your top priority, it’s possible to nurture a team with strong principles, who cultivate trusted relationships between one another and feel empowered to take ownership of their roles - all while fostering greater loyalty towards your brand.
How to improve wellbeing at work
If you’re looking to place greater emphasis on workforce wellbeing, here are three critical questions to ask yourself.
1. Have you engaged your employees when developing your wellbeing strategy?
“It’s crucial to understand what matters most to your teams on a personal level,” says Jenny Hughes. “Is it flexible working hours? Greater opportunities for collaboration? More face-to-face time, or the ability to work remotely? By tailoring your approach to individual circumstances, you can create a more supportive and fulfilling work environment, which - by default - will naturally support employee wellbeing.”
2. Do you have buy-in from leadership and management?
When it comes to wellbeing, your leadership team should act as role models for the rest of your workforce. They should undertake training to understand how to best uplift their teams, and have access to support and resources to make sure wellbeing goals are met. Indeed, management will often be the first port of call for someone struggling, so they need to have the right tools and attitude to encourage a positive approach to wellbeing throughout your organisation.
3. How are you planning to measure employee wellbeing?
As you might suspect, implementing a wellbeing strategy is only the first step. You need to consider how you’re going to track and improve wellbeing going forward, committing to a process of continuous improvement over time. Your employees’ needs will change over time - indeed, your employees themselves will no doubt change over time too - so you have to be able to respond to these ever-evolving requirements. Crucially, you want to be sure that your measures are having the right impact.
Understandably, marketing and internal communications have a key role to play in a company’s wellbeing programme. Whether it’s raising awareness of the resources you have on offer, holding workshops with employees to understand their priorities, or communicating year-on-year improvements being made to company-wide wellbeing, these initiatives are fundamental to creating and maintaining a wellbeing culture in your workplace.
A new world of work
The attention paid to wellbeing is a positive change for the commercial world, and its impact will be keenly felt throughout team productivity and business performance more and more in the future.
When it comes to defining the importance of wellbeing at work, I’ll leave you with these wise words from my colleague, Roz: “Wellbeing is knowing Pod’s board and my colleagues have my back, knowing everyone will support me and each other, and knowing we’re a team in its truest sense. I don’t have to face any challenges alone.”
Ultimately, it’s clear that taking care of your staff’s wellbeing and mental health is - when all is said and done - the best way of taking care of business.
If you need help with planning, delivering and measuring an employee engagement programme around wellbeing, get in touch.
Monia Dal Checco
Adam Leach