The NEW 'Value Proposition' of Workplace Wellness

[Welcome to Issue #6 of?Cultivating Vibrant Workplaces where I share key takeaways from my interview with Jill Kane (a graduate of our Workplace Wellness Ambassador Certification Program) that will be featured in our forthcoming book, Cultivating Healthy & Vibrant Workplaces. We hope you find it informative and inspirational!]

The NEW 'Value Proposition' of Workplace Wellness

Imagine you’ve been invited to participate in a Workplace Wellness strategic planning focus group in your organization. The session is most dynamic, and ideas are flowing…until the group facilitator asks you to share your thoughts on the ‘Value Proposition' of Workplace Wellness.?Then, crickets!

Well, this closely resembled what I encountered when I posed this very question to several people I interviewed for our book. In their defense, it is a most thought-provoking question and a challenging concept to define in a few sentences. In full transparency, I too had to really reflect on how I might define the ‘Workplace Wellness Value Proposition’ (WWVP). A predicament that brought me back to my school teachers who were notorious for saying: "If you can’t define or articulate something, it generally means you do not have a full grasp of the topic."

Leveraging the experience of a Benefits Specialist—WWCOE program graduate to build out a WWVP framework

It always gives me immense pleasure to learn from our program graduates—mutual mentoring at its finest! This was certainly the case with Jill Kane, one of our Executive Wellness Coach and Master Ambassador program graduates located in Massachusetts, United States whom I had the privilege of interviewing for our book. With 20 years of combined experience in Total Rewards, I knew Jill would be an ideal candidate to interview on the topic of Workplace Wellness Value Proposition.

As a Benefits and Total Rewards Specialist, Jill shared that she has always been interested in how her work makes an impact on the bigger picture for the whole employee experience. “I really enjoy building out the job architecture, the pay structures, the sales plans and putting that structure in place not just as a formality, but because it gives employees a real clear path to success. In 2015 I had the opportunity to become a founding member of a wellness committee for the organization I was with at the time. It really helped me, and others, shape and develop the strategy and vision for a healthy workforce. This was happening at the same time I began my training with you through your Workplace Wellness Master Ambassador Certification Program, which was an amazing experience. Under your guidance in this particular program, I was provided with the opportunity to lead a global virtual project team as part of the program’s curriculum, further strengthening my knowledge and skill sets as a leader in Workplace Wellness and in cultivating employee experiences.”

As you will discover below, Jill’s experiences and insights offer valuable perspectives for developing purposeful wellness programs and considerations for defining the Workplace Wellness Value Proposition.

Our WWVP discussion began with the need for the full support and engagement of our leaders to help entrench wellness into our organizational fabric. And now more than ever! As Jill shared, “We need to help managers understand that workplace well-being is more than just a program that takes one-two hours out of their employee’s day, keeping them from their work…It’s imperative that leadership is involved in and supportive of employee wellness programs for them to succeed…Leaders really set the tone for what's acceptable at work (or, as I [Lisa] like to say, are the best to demonstrate 'visible permission' to put on one’s oxygen mask during the workday)…In my experience, most leaders are fully aware of the value of well-being, but they're perhaps not conscious of how much their own direct personal behavior influences the rest of their team…I sense they are not making the connection that, as with all things in life, it’s the small things that really count. That micro wellness steps will pay big dividends for both employee well-being and performance. But those steps can’t take place in private. It requires the will, commitment, and role modelling of leadership and middle management."

“Leaders create the culture in organizations. Their role really is to grow the competence of their team and create the conditions for human thriving.”

Jill offers three suggestions for how Workplace Wellness leaders might collaborate with managers to create the conditions for human thriving, professional competence, and high performance. Opportunities for nurturing the Workplace Wellness Value Proposition.

Firstly, we need to help leaders recognize wellness offerings as a long-term value proposition and a key element in our talent management strategies.

Secondly, we need to support leaders in prioritizing and manifesting their own wellness in order to lead by example. (After all, employees may feel uncomfortable engaging in movement or stretch breaks during a long meeting if their leader does not take the first initiative in doing so.)

Thirdly, Workplace Wellness leaders should encourage and even seek out managers to become actively involved in wellness committees and champion programs. As she aptly stated, we need to invite their insights into what matters most from a business perspective as well as educate them on how our wellness offerings can help employees achieve personal, team and organizational goals.

Bringing her recommendations to life, Jill shared that during the pandemic, the CEO and President of her organization would send out personal videos every week explaining what they were doing to support their health and well-being. Her head of HR would send out weekly emails with reflective thoughts from her walks and remind employees to make time for their own self-care. Jill shared that receiving these communications from senior leaders “really made us feel cared for and connected in our humanity, challenges and needs.”

Role of Workplace Wellness in cultivating ‘employee experiences.’ In our efforts to define the Workplace Wellness Value Proposition, Jill posited that we should view organizational wellness beyond the ROI of population health management and cost savings. “We have five generations in the workforce right now, and they all have different needs and preferences, so it’s important to reflect on that. The younger generations are seeking flexible work arrangements, the opportunity to work independently and the chance to make a real difference in the world. They want opportunities to grow and flourish as both a person and a professional. With baby boomers retiring en masse, we are facing a skill shortage and a heightened race for talent. Understanding and accommodating the needs of all generations through wellness programs and other organizational offerings will be paramount to organizational growth and success." She added that employees are no longer willing to endure stressful, toxic work cultures for a pay cheque.?

Workplace Wellness leaders —‘Cultivators of Connectedness.’ Workplace Wellness leaders working with managers can help meet these employee needs through multi-dimensional, whole-person wellness programs such as those we describe in Section Two of our book. One example is that of 'Mutual Mentoring' programs. As Jill aptly suggested, “Workplace Wellness professionals can help support the development of mentoring skills through wellness programs that incorporate skill-building in listening, empathy, and mindfulness."

Beginning with the end in mind. A key strategy for enhancing the WWVP is through elevating awareness of the benefits of a healthy work culture, particularly with senior leadership and middle managers, and then co-creating such. An approach recommended in our certification programs, as recalled by Jill, is the 'Start-Stop-Continue Retrospective' (SSCR). Through management and team-based focus groups, Workplace Wellness and HR leaders might partner in facilitating an SSCR in such groups to glean what leaders and employees might like to see added to new or existing wellness offerings; to reflect on past or current initiatives they feel offer less or no value to them, and to brainstorm offerings that they might like to see continued or enhanced.

Jill and I also discussed the importance of setting and evaluating program metrics or KPIs as equally important methods for assessing program impact and identifying opportunities for enhancement. Examples of criteria worth assessing include the number of people who signed up for and participated in wellness offerings including webinars/workshops, campaigns, etc. Also, exploring the degree to which the initiative was multi-faceted and inclusive of diverse wellness needs and interests, and examining the overall communication strategy—how many communications went out? Did they come from the CEO and leadership team? Were the messages inclusive? Were accommodations made for people unable to participate due to physical limitations, etc.? And, asking the ultimate question: Did the programs achieve the intended process and impact goals? (Hint: Insights for assessing this metric can often be gleaned through qualitative feedback.)

Without question, there is much to consider and act on to manifest a meaningful Workplace Wellness Value Proposition. We look forward to sharing more on this topic and the rest of my interview with Jill in our forthcoming book launching this summer.

Here's what we are working on for you...

The Workplace Wellness Centre of Excellence will be piloting a?"Leader Turned Coach" Course?this June to help invited participants amplify their coaching skills so they may support employee well-being, performance, and development in both virtual and onsite work environments. Join our?VIP list?to be notified of future offerings and to get on our waitlist.

Our book is in the final stages and we are most excited for its big reveal this summer. Sign up for our?Book Registry?to receive launch notifications and special promotional offers!

Be watching for future 'Cultivating Vibrant Workplaces' newsletters featuring other profiles from our book and discussions from our CHVW podcast episodes (launching in June on our WWCOE YouTube channel).