Research: Employee Attraction And Retention Depends On Supporting Their Whole-Person Wellbeing

Wellbeing strategy is a fundamental part of business strategy

The battle to attract and retain talent in this precarious stage of the pandemic is heating up. In June, 3.9 million people quit their jobs, according to the U.S. Labor Department, while the number of job openings grew to a record high of 10.1 million. Workers have the bargaining power, and far too many employers are out of step with what their employees and potential job candidates want and need to either come back to work, re-enter the physical office space, or prevent them from job flight. 
 

For now, upheaval is the new normal. For as long as Covid-19 variants work their way through the population and fears of breakthrough infections persist, our plans to get back to “normal” (or at least into the office) remain questionable — and even controversial. Economic recovery depends on a solid workforce, but as many organizations are learning first-hand, asking people to get back to business while they’re trying to manage their families’ health and safety is futile — unless you’re arming them with the support they need to succeed. 

Employees Need Support Now

What today’s workers need — what they’re demanding, actually — is to be cared for by their employer. They need flexibility and tools to manage their whole lives so they can “show up” at work feeling their best, ready to engage, meaningfully connect with their colleagues, and contribute to the bottom line. They need the permission and tools to move more, eat healthfully, sleep better, reduce stress, and manage their emotional health. They need to see that wellbeing is a core cultural value and that their employer is a partner in their pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, whatever that means to them.   

Today, mental health support is paramount. Research conducted by Grokker Innovation Labs found that since the start of the pandemic, upwards of 80 percent of employees have experienced increased mental health symptoms, and approximately 23 percent were clinically diagnosed with a condition. What’s more, compounding the decline in emotional wellbeing, workers appear to be experiencing burnout-related symptoms that include the following:

●  55 percent experience fatigue and insomnia
●  35 percent struggle with headaches or musculoskeletal discomfort
●  27 percent suffer stomach aches and digestive problems
●  14 percent have cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure

It’s clear that the result of not promptly providing necessary wellbeing resources could prove counterproductive. The wide-reaching struggles of workers returning to the workplace — now or later — remain very real. And without support, team members may be forced to extricate themselves from the workforce. The last thing companies need in this marketplace is self-inflicted attrition.

Offering wellbeing solutions at this critical moment sends a clear message that industry leaders remain committed to the compassionate care of their valued employees. It also delivers significant workforce value in terms of employee morale, loyalty, retention, and improved performance. For business thought leaders, emphasizing wellbeing in the workplace is nothing new. According to the Business Group on Health/Fidelity 2021 Employer-Sponsored Health and Well-being Survey, a growing proportion of employers (from 19% in 2020 to 28% in 2021) says that their wellbeing strategy is a fundamental part of their business strategy. 

Do Good to Do Well

As Grokker's Founder and CEO, Lorna Borenstein, says in her book, It's Personal: The Business Case for Caring, “Employees are telling us what they want, and it turns out that what they want is not only good for workers, but also good for our businesses.” It’s really a simple concept that has proven, for innovative companies who used the lockdown period of the pandemic to build their company culture, to pay off. 

The pandemic isn’t over, and most people continue to prioritize their health and safety. At the same time, they’ve had time to assess what’s most important to them. Some lost their jobs or were furloughed — or quit their job to care for their family — and they’ve thought about whether or not it’s “worth” going back to that industry or company. Others settled into working from home and decided that they’re not willing or able to return to the days of commuting to an office. Still, others are one step away from resigning.

That’s why supporting your employees’ wellbeing is the most important thing you can do — and offering whole-person self-care resources is one of the easiest steps you can take to become an employer of choice in this evolving employment landscape.

Susan Van Klink is the Chief Revenue and Chief Diversity Officer at Grokker. She is a technology industry expert with over 20 years of experience driving transformative change and growth for North American software companies. She launched her career as an HR practitioner, transitioning to HR sales and expanding her expertise in the cloud HCM and workforce wellbeing engagement software space. Van Klink has helped propel the success of standout HR technology companies like SuccessFactors, Taleo, League, and now Grokker. Visit www.grokker.com Connect Susan Van Klink Follow @grokker