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It’s marketing 101. You can’t sell a product that doesn’t fit your target audience’s needs. Talking to customers, finding out more about them and what they need, is priority number one. And whilst employer-funded wellbeing benefits aren’t ‘sold’ as such to employees – not in a physical (exchange of money) sense at least – they arguably do need to be sold emotionally; something that employees can connect with. That becomes much more effective where employees have been involved from the get-go. (An assertion supported by lots of academic research over the years**).
It’s our view that genuinely gaining and using employee insights, to look in a joined-up way at what wellbeing means to them, needs to become the norm, rather than the exception. Especially if, as an industry, we are to help employers realise the economic value of improved wellbeing, as articulated recently by Business in the Community (BITC).
Right now though, data from our Wellbeing at Work Barometer* research reveals a mismatch between employer and employee views on what aspects of organisational wellbeing should be prioritised. A mismatch of views might reasonably suggest a product (in this case a wellbeing programme) that doesn’t fit the audience’s needs. This brings potentially negative implications for the value of employee wellbeing to people and business.
Employer / employee disparities of opinion: the lowdown
We asked employers and employees across many different industries, sectors and sizes: ‘In which areas of wellbeing do they think their organisation needed to start to provide support on, or increase current levels of support?’
While there was broad agreement that stress / anxiety should represent the top priority, a significantly higher percentage of employees than employers stated this (51% versus 33% respectively). Even more pronounced though was the disparity of opinion on second and third place priorities, which completely differed; employees stating ‘depression’ (40%) and ‘burnout’ (35%), while employers said ‘men’s health’ (31%) and ‘women’s health’ (30%).
These disparities became more pronounced when considered by age and job level. For example, significantly more 18- to 34- year olds than their older peers wanted to see stress/anxiety, depression and burnout prioritised. Also, a slightly higher percentage of line managers, in comparison to employees overall, want to see these areas prioritised.
These findings arguably help illustrate why employees need to be more involved; to help get to the root causes of mental health issues and concerns, so that wellbeing programmes can be designed that help address those root causes, as well as supporting people when needed.
From employee voice to improved wellbeing and business outcomes
For employees to engage – or emotionally connect – with wellbeing benefits and services, or any aspect of work and organisational life for that matter, employee input, or voice, is key. There’s lots of academic literature that argues the point about the value of employee voice.**
That’s voice not only in terms of feedback on senior leadership suggestions, but also in terms of employees (at all levels) genuinely helping shape how a wellbeing programme is designed and communicated. Also, in terms of employees feeling confident enough to call out when things aren’t working.
Why is an emotional connection needed? Because it’s what leads to wellbeing benefits and services being considered a part of those things that make an organisation distinctive which, in turn, means that employees will be more likely to: think and say good things about their employer; exemplify the organisation’s values; exhibit loyalty and simply enjoy what they do.**
While there has been a move in recent years to use some form of employee insights (i.e. surveys) in the review and design of wellbeing programmes, it’s probably fair to say that, in most cases, the employer decides what’s best for their people. This is often informed more by what their competitors’ programmes look like, than via direct discussions with their employees. Employee surveys are sometimes used, but it’s arguably very difficult to establish the root cause from surveys alone. All of this made sense when employee benefits were seen first and foremost as a recruitment tool. But, of course, times have evolved.
The recruitment aspect is still hugely important. Indeed, 9 in 10 (94%) 18- to 34-year-olds say they’d be more likely to apply for an organisation that’s open about its commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of its people.*
But there’s also now growing understanding that improved wellbeing can also translate into improved business outcomes.
Informed individual, targeted and organisational level approaches
It’s also becoming increasingly understood that improved wellbeing won’t come from individual-level approaches alone; such aspects include benefits, services, workplace adjustments and good line manager conversations. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), recommended last year that employers adopt a tiered approach, placing organisational level approaches as the foundation (culture, purpose, employee experience and engagement), upon which individual level and targeted approaches might be more effective.
It stands to reason that all these aspects should form part of listening to employees.**
It’s with this thinking in mind that Legal & General partnered last year with data and analytics business Fruitful Insights, to offer its analytical platform direct, or via intermediaries, to group income protection clients covering a minimum of 100 employees. It helps organisations look at all aspects of wellbeing – at individual, targeted and organisational levels (using employee voice as well as organisational data sources) – to quantify the impact of wellbeing on workforce productivity. In doing so, it also provides actionable insights for improved programme design and delivery.
It’s also with individual, targeted and organisational needs in mind that we advocate a ‘whole person’ view of wellbeing as part of our Be Well. Get Better. Be Supported. framework. This considers wellbeing in an integrated way, with mental wellbeing as the foundation. It’s predicated on getting people back to – or staying in – ‘good work’ as a key health goal.
It works in an early intervention, vocational rehabilitation and return to work context
The importance of considering the whole person and ensuring emotional commitment through employee voice may be illustrated in action, in an early intervention, vocational rehabilitation and return to work context. Our internal clinical team and the multi-disciplinary team we work with have long advocated that success depends on co-creation; understanding your target audience’s needs by actually involving them in the process (back to marketing 101).
Beverly Knops, executive manager and specialist occupational therapist at Vitality360 – also a member of Legal & General’s independent Wellbeing Advisory Board – explains: “At Vitality360, all treatment programmes are designed in collaboration with the person involved. As clinicians we are informed by evidence-based research and our own clinical practice, but our clients are the experts in their health within the context of their own lives.
“I believe a good therapeutic relationship between the clinician and their client is imperative to the commitment of both parties. This starts with co-designing their own plan.”
Sources
*Legal & General Wellbeing at Work Barometer 2022. Legal & General commissioned Opinium to carry out this research, involving 1,005 senior managers or above in business’ with over 10 employees. Also 1,040 middle managers or below in business’ with over 10 employees. Field dates, 1 June 2022 – 11 June 2022.
**Gannon & Hieker, 2022; Hatch et al., 2008; Kimpakorn & Tocquer, 2010; Miles & Mangold, 2014; Omilion-Hodges & Baker, 2014; Raj & Jyothi, 2011; Smith et al., 2020; Ta’Amnha et al., 2021; Tanwar & Prasad, 2017; Xiong et al., 2019.
