How to Put Employee Wellbeing at the Heart of Company Culture

There’s a lot to be said about the importance of company culture and how it can drive and shape entire organisations. So much so that the term ‘company culture’ has become somewhat of a buzzword over the last decade, with more and more businesses recognising the positive influence of healthy cultures within the workplace.

And while every business is unique, with varying goals and ideologies, employee wellbeing is a factor that should be at the heart of every company’s culture. Wellbeing is vital for health, motivation, enthusiasm, productivity, business growth, and much more. So it’s safe to say it’s a worthy investment for every business.

So, we know wellbeing is important for every company, but how do you put employee wellbeing at the core of company culture? Good question! In this post, we’ll highlight a few simple yet hugely effective ways wellbeing can be prioritised while improving the overall culture of a business.

Get to Know Employees as Individuals

Have you ever worked for a company and felt like little more than a cog in a machine? If so, you’re not alone. To embrace employee wellbeing and put it at the heart of your company’s culture, getting to know your employees as individuals is vital. It not only creates a stronger connection between colleagues and upper management but also provides a business with an in-depth understanding of the needs and wants of the people who work for them.

No culture should have a ‘one size fits all’ approach, as everyone is different and respond effectively to varying strategies. For this reason, getting to know your employees personally helps you offer solutions and resources that suit the needs of individuals. For business, this proves hugely impactful as it ensures you’re getting the most out of 100% of your employees, not just isolated groups who fit the mould of your company. For employees, it makes them feel empowered, valued and included. When people feel this way, it creates a fantastic team dynamic where creativity and ideas flow freely.

Honesty and Transparency

Although honesty and transparency should be standard in any workplace, it’s often not the case. Being honest with employees creates a sense of trust and job security while encouraging widespread teamwork. Leaders who are transparent with their teams establish highly motivated environments where employees have clear goals and work hard for each other. Communication is critical in any workplace, and an honest approach offers clarity amongst colleagues, leading to a more efficient and successful workforce.

When it comes to employee wellbeing, transparency and honesty offer a secure space where employees feel safe to discuss any issues or difficulties. This is crucial as it helps people deal with the stress and pressure of everyday work life but also provides the support network needed to deal with external problems such as health or family issues. A lack of transparency creates trust concerns and a divided mentality — neither of which benefits teams who need to work together to maximise their potential.

Explore Employee Wellbeing Programmes  

There’s no better way to demonstrate how invested you are in employee wellbeing than by literally investing in wellbeing. Fortunately, wellbeing programmes have advanced significantly over the years and are in a much better place these days. Rather than simplistic (and ineffective) programmes that mainly focus on how many steps people take every day, modern wellbeing apps have a more holistic approach that’s actually engaging and rewarding.

Employee wellbeing apps such as the GoJoe app use a range of team-based activities, challenges and tailored content to bring people together while simultaneously driving individual goals. This means you can lean into whichever aspects suit your team best and truly benefit through short and long-term use. Whether your team responds better to activities, expert-led content, or gamification and rewards, GoJoe helps make employee wellbeing a top priority in a fun way.

Recognising Achievements

Every company should be its employees’ biggest cheerleaders and recognise their hard work and achievements. It’s a simple way to boost morale and make people feel valued for the time and effort they invest in a business. This kind of loops back to the cog in a machine metaphor we mentioned earlier. Failing to recognise hard work and achievements is basically telling an employee they’re a tool to be utilised, not an individual who deserves credit for going the extra mile.

This doesn’t mean you have to shower your team with expensive gifts every time they complete a task, as recognition comes in many forms. But you’ll be surprised how effective recognition is for the wellbeing of your team. When people feel valued and as if their contribution matters, it naturally makes people appreciate their employer and want to work hard for them.  

Additionally, it contributes massively to self-worth, job satisfaction and a positive mindset. A person feeling the opposite may be more susceptible to decreased motivation and also mental health issues such as depression. A lack of recognition can lead people down a path of self-doubt and feeling like they are wasting their time in their current role. We’ve all felt this way during our lives and know all too well how much of a toll it can take on you both physically and mentally.

Wellbeing-Focused Leaders

Workplace leaders tend to be the people who set the tone for company culture. Whether it’s an employer, manager or individual team leader — their influence is substantial and has a direct effect on the thoughts and feelings of others. With this in mind, leaders must have wellbeing at heart to make it a core focus of your company culture. Leaders are often the middlemen between employees and senior staff and dictate the ebb and flow of the working environment.

For this reason, companies should invest in their leaders and ensure they possess the thought leadership, knowledge and training required to create a healthy culture and encourage others to prioritise wellbeing. By doing so, current and future employees will benefit from a supportive yet highly productive work-based network that positively influences many areas of their life.

Implement Employee Wellbeing into Recruitment

The ethos and priorities of a business tend to be reflected in the mindsets and personalities of employees. However, you can’t just expect new hires to adopt your way of thinking if it’s really not their cup of tea. Therefore, recruitment is vital for bringing people into the fold that can benefit your wellbeing efforts and prove to be valuable assets for change and growth. You can achieve this by implementing wellbeing elements into the recruitment process, from the initial job advertisements to the interview stages.

In fact, many companies conduct multi-stage interviews to really get to know candidates. This offers a thorough view of them as a person and a professional. So rather than just opting for the person with the most qualifications and experience, you’re consistently hiring skilled professionals who also fit the mould of your company culture. Practices such as this require minimal additional effort or investment, but the rewards are enormous and stretch to every corner of an organisation.

Would you like to learn more about the GoJoe app and how it helps businesses put wellbeing at the heart of their company culture? Book your FREE demo today, or contact our helpful team if you have any questions!