So, when it comes to workplace wellbeing initiatives or programmes, workplace leaders should consider a holistic approach to the health and wellbeing of their teams that is considerate of the individuals’ needs. Our approach focuses on personal, interpersonal, vocational and financial wellbeing – see diagram. Workplaces that encourage people to focus and prioritise these elements of their personal wellbeing are critical to people thriving both personally and at work. This might range from encouraging people to leave on time to having regular breaks from sedentary work. Ensuring the workplace is a healthy environment where workers are encouraged and supported, have opportunities to find balance in their lives and enjoyment in their work also contributes to workers’ mental wellbeing.
Seven of the top ten blockers to thriving organisations are directly related to leadership. Culture
We wanted to test how important culture and values alignment so, in our worker survey, we pitted it against other important factors in the workforce, to see which, on
the whole, workers valued more. We asked the question: ‘When looking for a place of employment, which matters most to you: the organisational culture and values alignment or the conditions, earnings and salary package?’. Amazingly, for more than half of all workers (58 per cent) organisational culture and values mattered more than remuneration. While workplace culture is important for all workers regardless of age, our research showed it is key to attraction and retention for the emerging generations. Culture can be quite complex to understand and difficult to communicate. It involves meaning and purpose, both of which are significant contributors to wellbeing and a sense of fulfilment. In our worker survey, 57 per cent strongly or somewhat agreed that they find purpose and meaning in their work. Similarly, 54 per cent strongly or somewhat agreed that what they do for work is making a difference in people’s lives. While these are positive findings, it also indicates that just under half of workers do not find purpose and meaning in their work or feel as though what they do for work is not making a difference in people’s lives. When asked whether efforts are made to help people find
purpose and meaning in their work, one-in-two workers (50 per cent) strongly or somewhat agreed. Clearly, work still needs to be done in our organisations. Human beings are social creatures, and our interpersonal wellbeing is essential to thriving at work. A sense of belonging and connection with others correlates with higher self-esteem, greater life satisfaction, faster recovery from disease, lower levels of stress, less mental illness and a longer life. Therefore, research suggests that, more than just what you’re doing at work, it’s who you’re doing it with and why you’re doing it that contributes to overall engagement and wellbeing.
Barriers to work wellbeing
Just as fantastic opportunities are there for workplaces and leaders to prioritise the wellbeing of their teams, so too are barriers that need to be overcome so people can thrive and flourish. In our worker survey, we asked: ‘In your workplace, which of the following are blockers to you thriving at work?’. The biggest blocker was being overworked and stressed (31 per cent), followed by management structures and hierarchy (28 per cent) and leadership
SPRING 2020
HUMAN RESOURCES
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