Employee support and wellbeing: The keys to retaining your workforce
By hitting the reset button and rethinking well-being programs, employers can make the changes needed to support and retain staff.
As the fall months pass, the Great Resignation rages on, with employers racing to keep their talented workers from seeking greener pastures. Among the reports of why workers are leaving, there’s one key theme that stands out: They want to work for an employer who cares about them.
During the pandemic, workers’ mental health was put to the test–as were employers’ wellness programs and company culture. Empathetic employers were able to help employees keep stress levels in check and stave off burnout.
Employers currently struggling to retain their workers should take a close look at their wellbeing programs, says Jessi Crast, advanced researcher at Limeade, an immersive well-being company. Crast recently shared her insights with BenefitsPRO, offering some tips for employers looking to create a culture of caring.
What has driven employees to leave their positions during the Great Resignation?
Employees have left their positions during the Great Resignation due to a variety of reasons. While each of them have their own unique needs and work experiences that influence these decisions, Limeade found that the top reason employees left was due to burnout, with 40% of respondents citing it as a top reason for leaving their previous company. This number reaches 54% for those in healthcare and 52% for those in the food service and hospitality industry. Employees who reach burnout have been engaged for a long time but experience very low well-being due to a lack of organizational support and care, leading them to search elsewhere for a company that’s a better fit.
Additionally, employees looked for new jobs because their company was going through organizational changes (34%), there was a lack of flexibility (20%) as well as instances of discrimination (20%) and because their contributions and ideas not being valued (20%). On top of that, some employees reported leaving due to insufficient benefits (19%) and because their well-being was not supported by the company (16%).
Ultimately, we’ve found that employees largely left their positions because they were not cared for or listened to. This reasoning behind why employees left during The Great Resignation proves to organizations that there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to providing cultures of care. While many companies have made strides in the last year, employees need more support. By hitting the reset button and rethinking well-being programs, employers can make the changes needed to support and retain their staff.
What are these employees looking for in new opportunities?
When looking to find a new employer that fits their needs, most employees want more flexibility. Employees who switched jobs during the Great Resignation were attracted to their new role based on the ability to work remotely (40%) as well as the ability to have a better work-life balance (26%) and a flexible work schedule (24%). This shows that not all employees want to return to the way things were in the workplace. They’ve discovered some of the benefits that flexibility offers and want to maintain some of those options moving forward.
How has their well-being and mental health been impacted by taking on a new role?
Employees that found new jobs during the Great Resignation have found that their new employers are more caring when compared to their previous employers. In our survey, respondents reported a 22% boost in feeling cared for with 64% strongly agreeing that their current organization cares about their overall well-being, whereas 42% felt this way about their previous employer.
Even though these employees have only been in their new role for 3 to 6 months, more than half (56%) strongly agreed that they’d feel comfortable disclosing a mental health condition to their new employer compared to 35% at their previous employer.
Taking this into account, employers must ensure that they foster cultures of care where employees feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work and reaching out when they need support.
How can organizations create well-being programs that support all employees, no matter what stage of their career they are in?
Because not everyone has the same experience at work and in their home life, employees will want different benefits from their employer. Organizations can create these well-being programs by first listening to their employees. By taking the time to hear what individuals need to be successful in managing their professional and personal demands, companies can select the most valuable benefits and programs that meet these needs. Whether it’s offering mental health resources or providing fitness stipends, organizations can discover what their employees need to improve and maintain their well-being, no matter what stage of their career they are in.
How do intentionally designed well-being programs and cultures of care create healthier, more cohesive workplaces?
Intentionally designed well-being programs and cultures of care create healthier, more cohesive workplaces through the use of open communication. Well-being programs that incorporate two-way communication allow for employers to listen to their employees’ needs and provide a comfortable environment for these employees to express these needs. When employers act on what is shared with them, they are able to create well-being programs and workplace cultures that foster caring conversations among all employees so they can better work with and support each other.
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