Talent Management Trends 2022: The Critical Role Wellbeing Plays In Talent Management

Six tips for leaders

For well over a year, we’ve all been reading and hearing about the employee burnout trend. The global pandemic has created a surge in employee stress and anxiety that is unprecedented in our lifetimes.

In fact, two key metrics of employee stress tracked by LifeWorks continue to show serious workplace challenges. In August 2021, the U.S. Mental Stress Change score jumped to 53.2 from 51.9 in July, which indicates that 17 percent of the population is experiencing more mental stress compared to the previous month. Simultaneously, the U.S. Mental Health Index, which compares employees’ contemporary mental health and risk with a benchmark set before the pandemic, remained in negative territory at -3.0.

Our data also shows a strong correlation between health and productivity. Forty-two percent of employees report working while feeling unwell at least one day per week, and their mental health ranks significantly lower than those who report never working while feeling unwell. This can have an impact on not only the employees but also their teams. Eighty-one percent of managers have had to deal with a mental health issue of an employee in the past year and 70 percent of those did not know what to do to support them.

As we all move together navigating this next phase of life and work, talent management professionals have a critical role to play. Over and above recruiting, developing, engaging and retaining top talent, their work must include support for employees’ overall wellbeing, given its direct impact on all else.

The downside of getting this wrong is that lagging organizations will continue to be negatively impacted by another key trend: “the great resignation.” The risk is very real that these companies will slide into a vicious cycle, with top performers leaving and adding more stress to remaining staff who are already burning out – prompting them to quit. Alternatively, talent leaders can view this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leap ahead by enhancing support systems for employees and aligning their work with strategic business goals to enable their organizations to outpace competitors.

This all points to talent leaders renewing their focus on wellbeing in 2021. We also know that the changes we have seen will not be short-term. People are more attuned to whether or not their employer prioritizes employee mental health and wellbeing, and this will not change soon. As we look toward the coming year, here are six tips for leaders to build a world-class framework that prioritizes employee wellbeing.

Leaders should ensure that the entire organization, particularly talent management, knows the overarching goals when it comes to employee wellbeing. Make it clear to each department and each individual what role they play in reaching those goals, as well as the key performance indicators by which progress will be measured. This may require a robust internal communications program to align everyone across the company.

If there was ever a time for leaders to invest in development for the talent management team, this is it. With so many emerging issues, it’s highly likely your group could benefit from continual training and education to identify potential problems in the workforce and pinpoint individual employees who are struggling while there is still time to intervene. It’s equally important they become informed on new ways to support employees across the entire continuum of care – not just in times of crisis.

While so much of today’s wellbeing discussions center on mental health (justifiably so), it’s important that leaders ensure the wellbeing support systems address much more. Provide each employee with strategies to improve their total wellbeing: mental, physical, social and financial health. And just as your employees are accustomed to being able to shop online on any device at any hour, they will look to leadership to provide individualized wellbeing services on demand, 24 hours a day, on digital platforms, including access to professional counselors.

Talent leaders should strive to continually improve wellbeing strategies – and that means seeking feedback on a regular basis to help optimize programs. Tactics include surveys, facilitated listening sessions and virtual focus groups. Many employers assume employees will not invest time participating in these activities, but in my experience, the opposite is true — especially now. Employees expect that their employer will seek to understand the challenges they face, and their experiences have never been more palpable.

Leaders need to establish a communications strategy and a calendar to create a steady drumbeat of their wellbeing offerings. This is not only important for employees, but for prospects as well, who increasingly are attracted to organizations that nurture their wellbeing. Make certain to consider which communications channels and platforms are most appropriate for your audiences. Employees working on a factory floor may need digital signage or even hard-copy posters; whereas job seekers will want to see your wellbeing credentials updated regularly on LinkedIn and Glassdoor.

As noted above, if leaders are going to transform wellbeing from a nice-to-have program to a defining part of their culture, they need metrics to ensure that they stay on track and know whether they are achieving objectives. Given the major disruption over the past 18 months and ongoing, organizations need to consider the status of their people at the moment and use current benchmarks. Historical measures have little value. Many organizations have gained great insight by comparing their population to the Mental Health Index. As well, it is important to assess whether you are implementing practices that are known to be effective, then look at whether you are having the desired impact in your organization.

While 2022 will continue to present complex challenges to talent management leaders, there are many reasons to be optimistic. This period of disruption gives everyone an opportunity to recalibrate strategies for improving employee wellbeing across the board. If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that supporting employees’ mental, physical, social and financial health is key to a company exceeding its business goals.