What could be better? Yet more studies showing the links between employee wellbeing, engagement and business success… be still my beating heart! In study after study after study, having high levels of wellbeing has been shown to be good for people – and their employers. Yet despite the burgeoning global research in this area, it’s amazing how many organizations still don’t fully leverage these linkages.
Straight Up
Happy, healthy and engaged people impact your business’s bottom-line. In a sweeping study, the Gallop Organization has shown that regardless of country or region, personal wellbeing is directly linked to employee engagement and improved business results. Add to this a recent compendium in Forbes of engagement research and the case becomes even more compelling. Here, 28 studies demonstrate how employee engagement positively drives service, sales, quality, safety, retention, profit and shareholder returns.
Improving Wellbeing
Because employee wellbeing has such a large impact on organizational wellbeing, every business could benefit from having it as part of their primary focus. While an increasing number of organizations have in place programs that affect wellbeing, many don’t leverage it as well as they could. Not only could there be increased focus on measurement and key outcomes but also internal education and support. It’s simply not enough to have available memberships to gyms, yoga classes and showers for those who bike to work. Many people could benefit from being actively supported and encouraged to follow through, and this is where most programs fail.
To fully reap the wellness dividend, organizations should consider having a dedicated team of wellbeing professionals available to all staff. This could comprise fitness trainers, nutritional consultants and executive coaches, amongst others. Whatever the makeup, it’s clear that happy, healthy people are more engaged and productive.
As the studies stack up, businesses that want to retain and get the best from their people would do well to nurture the links between wellbeing, engagement and organizational success.
