There is broad consensus among HR departments that employee well-being is a crucial part of business strategy but opinions remain varied on how employers should go about promoting the elusive concept.
Of 600 HR professionals surveyed as part of a new study by Virgin Pulse, 78 percent call employee well-being a "key component" of company strategy, 87 percent say they have already invested or plan to invest in some type of employee well-being initiative, and a whopping 97 percent agree with the decidedly uncontroversial statement that worker well-being "positively influences engagement."
Similarly, a large majority of HR leaders view workplace culture as an important part of furthering employee well-being. Eighty percent have programs in place or plan to implement programs aimed at improving culture at the office.
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But what types of programs truly advance "employee well-being" and engagement? That's the question which elicits disagreement.
In fact, 41 percent of the organizations surveyed are still in the process of defining employee engagement or developing a plan to enhance it.
"Only 29 percent of respondents have established engagement programs to fit specific needs or offer an integrated solution that links to organizational strategy," said the report.
The most striking difference between the elite 29 percent — dubbed "mature" organizations — and the rest of the employers is that the great majority of the former group conducts annual employee engagement surveys, compared to less than half of other employers.
However, less than half of both groups of employers do an annual employee review process and only a small minority of both groups conducts data-based analysis of employee productivity.
Nevertheless, the "mature" organizations report much better results from their engagement efforts. Seventy-four percent say their initiatives have improved employee satisfaction, while only 36 percent of "beginner" organizations say their efforts have produced a positive effect on their workers' attitudes on the job.
The obstacles employers cite to improving engagement vary as well. Thirty percent say communication with employees is a major challenge, while 40 percent signal employees are hesitant to adopt the new initiatives, 47 percent cite a lack of financial resources and 48 percent point the finger at organizational culture.
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