How To Support Startup Employee Wellness From Day 1
Top tips to follow
Posted on 08-25-2022, Read Time: 6 Min
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Here are 12 ways to support startup employee wellness from day 1:
• Model the Way to Encourage Active Participation
• Use Incentives to Get Employees Involved
• Have Regular One-on-One Meetings
• Offer Access to Wellness Apps
• Grow Your Relationship Right From the Start
• Set the Tone for the Kind of Atmosphere They Will be Working in
• Use Small Ways to Show You Care
• Provide Coaching and Mentorship to New Recruits
• Support Employees With Good Benefits
• Allow Longer Lunch Breaks or Flexible Working Hours
• Show that They Are Valued and Their Input is Important
• Subscribe to a Corporate Wellness Program
Model the Way to Encourage Active Participation
My best tip for leaders to support their employees' well-being is to model the way. Employees look at leadership for guidance, support, and acceptance. If leadership is taking part in the company wellness activities, employees are more likely to participate. Sometimes, employees don't want to take time away from their job to attend a wellness event, however, if senior leadership is in attendance, employees will recognize the importance of the event and also attend. At our wellness firm, B.Komplete, we have seen with many groups we serve that when employees attend our wellness events, they save time, gain health and productivity, and are happier!
Beryl Krinsky, Founder & CEO, B.Komplete
Use Incentives to Get Employees Involved
One way to support wellness from the beginning of your business is to offer incentives for participation in wellness days or programs. This could be participating in Bike to Work Day or a Relay for Life Walking Marathon. It could be getting a wellness exam or attending a wellness seminar or nutritional class. Small incentives won't break the bank and will show your employees that wellness is a core principle in your company. It will also pay for itself because there will be fewer sick days if employees do wellness activities.
Bruce Tasios, CEO, Tasios Orthodontics
Have Regular One-on-One Meetings
Having regular meetings as soon as people join your startup will create a sense of trust and openness. Employees will be more likely to voice concerns when they feel stressed. This allows you to address workload levels sooner rather than later, which will lessen employee burnout. Regular meetings also allow you to see firsthand how your employees handle their workload. When you get to know them personally, you are more likely to notice changes in behavior due to overwork or stress. Regular meetings ensure that everyone has a role in creating a positive mental health culture.
Georgi Todorov, Founder, ThriveMyWay
Offer Access to Wellness Apps
There are so many wellness apps that can help employees clear their minds, get the support they need, exercise, be mindful and work on their emotional well-being as well as their mental and physical well-being, too. By giving employees access to these apps they get to understand more about their triggers, regulate their emotions, and get the support they need to help their overall well-being across different aspects of their lives.
Nicole Thelin, Founder, Low Income Relief
Grow Your Relationship Right From the Start
Provide expectations for the employee on how their first day will be scheduled, meetings they'll be a part of, and the office dress code to mitigate first-day jitters. Ask how that employee would like feedback, how they would like to be addressed, and a little about what makes them unique. Find out why they want to work for you and what their expectations are of you as an employer. Grow your relationship right from the start.
Muriel Clauson, CEO/Co-founder, Anthill
Set the Tone for the Kind of Atmosphere They Will Be Working in
Supporting your employees from day one begins with setting the tone for the kind of atmosphere they will be working in. Be assertive in the climate you've created for them to work in. Assure your employees through auto-generated monthly or quarterly emails that permit them to express their experience with working for your company, as a means of progression for the work culture.Additionally, a quarterly email of changes made, policies implemented etc.. based on what was shared by the employees to you as the owner in the previous quarter. It cost nothing to listen. This will surely contribute to your business growth as a leader, and necessary fundamentals are met for your employees.
Dr. Derricka Harwell, CEO, Derricka Harwell Enterprises
Use Small Ways to Show You Care
Part of being a great leader is knowing when to bend your own rules and show that you are human. Especially in startup culture, empathy and awareness of others are critical. People tend to work much harder and longer in startups, often for less salary. Therefore, it's incredibly important for a leader to support their employee's wellness in uncommon ways. Throwing a pizza party on a random Wednesday or giving someone a random day off because they've been working hard and look tired are just two of many ways to show that you care. Sometimes, especially in a startup when people believe in the vision, showing that you care and value your employees in small ways will overpower the fact that you don't have the best pay, office, or benefits.
Kelly Skelton, Marketing Leader, Fat Kid Deals
Provide Coaching and Mentorship to New Recruits
In order to help boost recruitment and retention rates for startups, one strategy that can be implemented is to provide coaching to new recruits within the first 90 days of their employment. In the first 90 days, there can be a lot of uncertainty and instability because hiring new staff costs a lot of money, particularly for startups in their early stages and considering how competitive the employment market is. By bringing in an external objective coach, you can improve the experience of new hires and increase their likelihood of staying with the company.
Josh Tyler, CEO, Tell Me Best
Support Employees With Good Benefits
Invest in your people early with good benefits. Most startups are weak in providing traditional benefits to early-stage employees, but this is the wrong approach. Offering things like health insurance and a 401K early in the game helps you recruit and retain good talent. So many great workers who could transform your startup don't feel secure working in an environment where they don't have basic benefits. Taking away concerns about their health and savings for the future allow them to focus on fewer existential stressors. By budgeting early to allocate these sorts of perks, you show your employees that you're invested in their wellness.
Rachel Reid, CEO, Subtl Beauty
Allow Longer Lunch Breaks or Flexible Working Hours
The best way for leaders to support their startup's employee wellness from Day 1 is to remember that all employees are human before anything else. We are not robots and cannot work 24/7. Show employees that their mental and physical health are valued and should be prioritized. Ways to encourage wellness would be allowing for longer lunch breaks so employees can exercise, or more flexible working hours to allow for physical activity at the time of day that best suits their personal lives. Additionally, allowing some employees personal time penciled in each week for meditation, therapy, or other personal wellness can allow them to strike the necessary work-life-wellness balance to be their best on the job.
Johan Hajji, CEO & Founder, UpperKey
Show that They Are Valued and Their Input is Important
From my experience, I've learned that it's extremely important to make sure that all employees know and feel that the work they do is valued and their contribution is noticed and appreciated. It is also crucial to show them the impact of their input on the company's goals, revenue, and growth. They should feel that they are a part of something bigger, that there is an ambitious goal that drives the company forward and brings everyone together. All accomplishments, even small ones, should be celebrated.
Vitalii Romanchenko, CEO, Elai.io
Subscribe to a Corporate Wellness Program
No matter what the leaders, managers, and employees of your startup do to embrace and continue employee wellness programs, they are bound to lose steam soon enough. If it is consistent efforts you seek, the best approach is to hand over this responsibility to the pros and sign up your startup’s personnel to a corporate wellness program. As dedicated and committed professionals, health and wellness experts don’t just create customized programs for employees but also ensure that they follow up on participation while keeping the program interesting.
David Northup, CEO, InShapeMDAuthor Bio
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Brett Farmiloe is the Founder and CEO – and currently CHRO - of Terkel.io, a platform where business leaders can answer questions related to their expertise and get published in articles featuring their insights. Connect Brett Framiloe |
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