In recent years, the concept of employee wellness has gained significant attention as organizations begin to recognize the workplace as an impactful determinant of health and well-being. It is now widely acknowledged that employee well-being directly influences organizational performance, productivity, and employee retention.

In light of this, many organizations are rethinking their traditional approach to organizational structure to better prioritize employee health and wellness. In this article, we explore how to structure an organization that supports employee well-being.

Redesigning Work to Improve Well-Being

In this post:

1. Identify Signs & Areas of Discontent

2. Acknowledge Leadership’s Role in Promoting Employee Well-Being

3. Implement New Ways of Working

4. Evaluate & Evolve

5. Advance Well-Being Initiatives with Strive

Identify Signs & Areas of Discontent

Employees face a multitude of challenges in the workplace, from feeling over or under-managed to experiencing overwhelm, distraction, or fatigue. A lack of purpose or stagnancy can leave employees feeling unmotivated and disengaged. In some cases, the issue may stem from a lack of tools and processes to optimize work, while in others, employees may feel under-appreciated or undervalued.

Another significant challenge is a lack of control or flexibility, which leads to frustration and dissatisfaction. Identifying these issues informs which aspects of your organizational structure it’s time to revolutionize.

Acknowledge Leadership’s Role in Promoting Employee Well-Being

Leaders within the organization play a critical role in creating a workplace culture that supports employee well-being. While many wellness-related initiatives typically fall on HR teams, leaders must be accountable, too, for true transformation to take place.

Making well-being a part of the organizational values and mission and viewing it as a core competency in performance reviews sets the tone for the workplace culture. Leaders can create a supportive work environment by integrating well-being into policies, procedures, and decision-making processes.

Visible leadership support such as sending out communications, participating in wellness offerings, or modeling their own wellness journeys conveys their commitment to employee well-being and encourages employees to prioritize it as well. Employees that feel supported by their leaders are more engaged, productive, and loyal.

Discover more about How Leaders Can Engage Employees with a Culture of Collaboration.

Implement New Ways of Working

With areas of discontent identified and leadership on board, it’s essential to implement new ways of working to structure an organization that promotes employee well-being. Effective task management largely impacts employees’ ability to maintain confidence and focus in their roles. Optimize using tools to cut down on meeting times, streamline processes, and reduce how often employees are switching between tasks and software.

Foster a flexible and supportive workplace culture by empowering teams to operate by norms that suit their personal working styles. For example, one team may prefer to link up after lunch, while another team gets the most out of meeting first thing in the morning. Hybrid workforces can apply the same practice with onsite or remote work.

Rather than being prescriptive, give employees clear expectations and assurance that there’s room for gumption and experimentation. The allocation of decision rights increases engagement, accountability, and transparency within an organization.

Leaders and managers can help align everyday tasks with organizational goals by remaining up-to-date on what employees are involved in and consistently connecting it to the greater mission. They can also encourage collaboration and mentorship by leveraging existing strengths in cross-team projects, rather than focusing solely on roles or titles.

Discover How Organizations Can Help Employees Balance Career Growth & Well-Being.

Evaluate & Evolve

Implementing new ways of working is only sustainable with ongoing measurement of the success of the initiatives. Leverage data collection and request employee feedback to evaluate if the changes are in fact promoting employee well-being, or if there are still adjustments to be made.

The needs and interests of the population can fluctuate over time, and well-being initiatives should follow suit to remain effective and impactful.

Advance Well-Being Initiatives with Strive

Employee wellness programs are a great way to introduce the concept of well-being to the population. They demonstrate an organizational commitment to well-being and provide consistent wellness opportunities to employees. Strive comprehensive wellness programs consist of:

• Educational health talks
• Interactive, instructor-led classes (stress management, fitness, MSK)
• Special wellness events (healthy cooking demos, onsite chair massage, etc.)

An educational element is foundational and appeals to a wide demographic, while instructor-led classes encourage employees to foster connections, and special events are a fun way to advance a culture of health. Our holistic approach is designed for long-term success and sustainability.

Strive’s goal is to offer wellness initiatives that are easy for internal teams to administer and even easier for employees to engage in. Book a discovery call to explore how Strive can help emphasize employee well-being in your organizational structure.