The prevalence of burnout in the workplace has become a major concern for employers and employees alike. Legacy work culture glamorizes sacrificing your well-being, accepting it as a necessary means of achieving success. Organizations play a crucial role in fostering a modern workplace culture that recognizes employees who create boundaries and take care of themselves perform better than those who are burnt out.

Workplace wellness is not a perk or benefit — it’s a business strategy to reduce costs, liabilities, and risks while ensuring high-performing people are properly supported. Prioritizing employee well-being and cultivating a culture of health promotes ambition, innovation, and productivity. This article discusses how organizations can help employees balance career growth and well-being sustainably.

Strategies for Supporting Employee Career Well-Being

In this post:

1. Acknowledge Work as a Part of Life

2. Offer Career Development Opportunities

3. Cultivate a Supportive Work Environment

4. Emphasize Employee Engagement

5. Help Employees Balance Career Growth & Well-Being with Strive

Acknowledge Work as a Part of Life (Not Its Entirety)

Achieving career success shouldn’t come at the expense of a fulfilling life, but rather be a part of what enhances it. Supportive work environments understand it’s possible to achieve professional relevance and success without being perpetually overworked and unsatisfied with other areas of your life. Setting reasonable workload expectations, providing flexibility for family needs, and encouraging employees to use PTO and take breaks to stretch, walk, or even nap throughout the day all help to prevent burnout.

Organizations that foster a culture that values work as a part of life allow employees to prioritize their well-being, leading to a more positive and productive working environment and increased levels of job satisfaction and retention rates. It also gives employees the space and energy they need to excel in their roles and consider what skills they want to develop to achieve company goals.

Offer Career Growth Opportunities

Engaging employees with career growth opportunities is fulfilling and motivating. It demonstrates a commitment to their professional development and helps them understand the progression opportunities that are available and the steps to reaching their career goals.

Training sessions or programs help employees develop new skills and competencies they’ll need to advance, while mentorship and coaching provide guidance and support from experienced professionals. Job shadowing and lateral movement opportunities expose employees to various departments and roles within the organization, providing insight into where they might be best suited in the future. Organizations can also offer learning resources, invest in further education or certifications, or leverage industry speakers to encourage career growth.

Organizations that establish clear career paths encourage employees to broaden their skillsets, set and achieve career goals, and grow into new opportunities. This creates highly valuable, driven people dedicated to the company’s mission.

Learn more about Why Employee Development is Important for Their Well-Being.

Cultivate a Supportive Work Environment

Cultivating a supportive work environment is crucial to supporting employees’ career well-being (balancing personal and professional goals, and finding purpose in one’s work). Achievements can feel meaningless if employees are left feeling drained, lonely, or lacking a clear sense of purpose. Organizations can help combat this by ensuring employees know how they fit into the bigger picture, and how their contributions help the organization succeed.

Encouraging autonomy and decision-making empowers employees to take ownership of their roles, and promoting cross-team collaboration fosters a culture that values diverse perspectives and ideas. Provide innovative ways for employees to prioritize their health and safety even in the workplace, such as wellness programs or spaces to take 20-minute naps or meditation breaks. Corporate wellness programs give employees access to convenient and consistent wellness opportunities while de-stigmatizing practices like napping at work help them recharge and produce more effectively.

Organizations that emphasize supporting employees know the workplace is a determinant of their well-being — it greatly impacts their physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being. Cultivating a supportive work environment bolsters employees’ abilities to excel in their careers while maintaining balance in their lives.

Discover how to invest in employee happiness.

Emphasize Employee Engagement

Emphasizing employee engagement is paramount to creating a thriving and high-performing work culture. By soliciting employee feedback and input, organizations demonstrate their value for employees’ opinions and insights. Encouraging idea and expertise sharing fosters innovation and collaboration, which leads to breakthrough solutions and a collective desire for success.

Loneliness is a pervasive health concern that negatively impacts employees’ health and quells their career aspirations. To address this, organizations can prioritize team-building and community-building activities to create a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Regular performance evaluations and manager check-ins provide employees with valuable feedback and support, which boosts morale and enhances their sense of purpose. Prioritizing employee engagement ignites ambition while developing well-being.

Help Employees Balance Career Growth & Well-Being with Strive

Strive wellness programs are a great way for organizations to demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being. A consistent presence of wellness opportunities amid busy workdays reminds employees that while it’s great to be motivated to perform, it shouldn’t be at the expense of their well-being. When they make small efforts to take care of themselves, it greatly impacts their passion and energy.

Strive’s wellness initiatives comprehensively address well-being with health education, instructor-led classes, and special events that foster connections, company culture, and a sense of community. Our wraparound service delivery model is designed for easy implementation, minimal internal administration, and maximum employee engagement.