ARA new report by the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work at the Alliance Manchester Business School has highlighted the essential need for business leaders to measure workplace wellbeing. This has been in response towards how wellbeing in the workplace is becoming far more prominent in policy, with the practice of measuring wellbeing being stated to help improve productivity, workplace happiness and contributing towards the ‘overall health’ of the economy.
What does the report say?
The report breaks down why addressing wellbeing in the workforce is key to any businesses strategy, in particular when it comes to retaining employees and maintaining productivity standards. As well as this, it shows that the need for businesses to address wellbeing has substantially increased due to certain factors including:
- Younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z) prioritising wellbeing more than previous generations.
- COVID-19 raising more awareness and ‘demands’ around wellbeing from employers
- Hybrid working becoming regular practice and raising additional wellbeing challenges.
- More investors ‘embracing’ health and wellbeing considerations
The report further highlights the difference between subjective wellbeing (how employees feel in themselves) to wellbeing drivers (external factors such as home life, education or financial position) and ways to consider both when measuring. The use of employee surveys and using carefully considered questions to gauge employee wellbeing was highlighted as an effective strategy to identify areas for improvement.
Sir Cary Cooper (co-chair of the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work) said: "Placing health and wellbeing at the heart of a business strategy makes perfect sense - it will help to improve productivity, improve staff retention and reduce presenteeism. But implementing a strategy alone is not good enough. We must measure it too, and then use this data to drive further improvements in worker wellbeing."
David Wright (Director of Edtesa) said: ''It is encouraging to see a comprehensive report advocating for the need to measure employee wellbeing. The points raised have highlighted why implementing an effective strategy can work towards successful outcomes for any business. This is exactly why we created Edtesa Wellbeing. Having a means to review your organisation’s health is one thing but learning from the data and adapting towards desired outcomes can propel your business even higher.''
If you need support with measuring employee wellbeing, see how Edtesa Wellbeing can assist you. With employee surveys included, analytical data to see progression and supporting resources, Edtesa Wellbeing provides plenty to support you in addressing workplace wellbeing.
