Research has consistently shown a close link between employee wellbeing, productivity and employee engagement; with higher productivity and engagement rates leading to increased profitability for businesses. Statistics also show that neglecting employee wellbeing in the workplace can also impact a business’ bottom line. Whether your business decisions are people or commercially driven – these statistics should be enough to demonstrate that this is an important topic and that employee wellbeing is a necessary component of long-term commercial success for all businesses.
As COVID-19 stabilises in many parts of Australia and we realise that remote working is truly cemented into our way of life, many employers find themselves contemplating the most effective ways to retain their teams’ in today’s new hybrid working world, while maximising their productivity throughout their tenure.
With the transition in recent years to a largely virtual way of working, it is more vital than ever for employers to formally map out and build a digital wellbeing strategy into their overall business plan and annual budget. From a survey of 1,500 HR decision-makers by Unmind, results showed that nine in ten HR decision-makers believe that online mental health tools will be important in 2022. But, what forms might these digital wellbeing tools take?
Below we explore three examples of successful digital tools to keep workforces engaged.
Digital Movement Challenges
With the rise of remote working and geographically dispersed teams, digital movement challenges have come to replace traditional in-office fitness related activities such as fun-runs and corporate soccer teams!
By re-introducing physical activity to the workplace through digitally hosted platforms, we create fun and engaging opportunities for employees to socialise with their colleagues in an otherwise isolating time, whilst also looking after their physical wellbeing.
From virtual step challenges to virtual push-up challenges right through to virtual bicycle challenges such as our Fitness Challenge, we have seen workplaces across the country jump on the digital fitness trend to invoke productivity and wellbeing in the workplace.
Regular exercise is known to regulate sleep patterns, decrease stress levels and assist with overall physical health and weight loss – proving to improve focus, alertness and productivity. With results like this, it’s no wonder we’re seeing a larger adoption of digital fitness challenges within the workplace.
Wellbeing Programs
Another increasingly popular trend is to administer virtual lifestyle and wellbeing programs, which encourage staff to participate in a specific program across a set period of time such as a week or a month. The purpose of these programs is to teach staff new skills, then provide a series of mini-challenges and opportunities to implement newly learned skills. Through application of new skills in real life settings, employees are encouraged to develop healthier habits within themselves as a result of repetition and ritual throughout the program.
Annual challenges such as our Activate My Wellbeing Challenge encompass themes based on key pillars of wellbeing, in order to create a healthier and happier workforce.
Virtual Educational Seminars
Virtual Educational Seminars have also proven to be a successful method in improving employee engagement and overall wellbeing. The benefits are two-fold – they promote education and learning around a number of important wellbeing topics, as well as promote interpersonal interactions and collaborative discussion amongst team members – which ultimately improves social interaction and engagement.
Not to mention, the webinar format is a convenient method to share information with teams across a range of locations and time zones, which can be particularly useful for interstate and global teams.
In order to be fully successful, sessions should cater for a wide range of learning styles and needs, whilst incorporating engaging content in a way that encourages active participation, discussion and interaction. Businesses may find that they have fantastic in-house facilitators for these sessions. However, they may also prefer to engage an external expert to deliver fresh and original content.
In summary, there are many great tools available to employers and employees when it comes to wellbeing in the workplace, with resources becoming more frequently delivered in a virtual manner to cater for today’s digital world.
Human capital is a business’ biggest asset. By considering their overall Digital Wellbeing Strategy, employers are showing their staff that they are important and that they value their contributions to the business.
For more information about how we can assist with improving your employees health and wellbeing, get in touch today.
