Mind the Gap! Benefits trends versus what people really want...

Nowadays, many organisations have recognized the importance of people well-being and have implemented several benefits and programs to support it. However, despite their efforts, the gap between the offered benefits and actual workforce needs and wants remains a huge challenge. The wellbeing benefits strategies used are not being effective and this could potentially widen the gap even more.  

The more traditional well-being programs have approaches that can lead to this gap resulting in low engagement. Additionally, many collaborators may not even be aware of the benefits available to them, leading to their underuse. In general, looking at this problem through the Maslow pyramid, the benefits organisations are offering are at the lowest satisfaction levels – physiological and safety and security needs – whereas there are still 3 more levels to ascend – the need for loving and belonging, the need for self-esteem and, in the top of the pyramid, the self-actualisation. Organisations should consistently strive and take concerted actions to enable people to move successfully to the upper satisfaction levels. 

Therefore, we can assume that the difference between the benefits and resources provided by an organisation and the actual needs and wants of its people may be two separate things. Considering the mindset evolution, growing age and cultural diversity, the craving for inclusion, the reality is that within organisations everyone is different and there is no one size fits all benefits solution. People need something that is suited and tailored to their individual needs. However, offering initiatives without previous feedback from them is common, but not at all the best approach. This usually happens because the point of view of managers is different than the perspective of people who report to them. All our perceptions arise from sensory input, which is then screened through our internal filters, that reflect our inner self, our reasoning, and our life experiences. Hereby is fundamental to understand the true needs and wants of our people.  

In terms of wellbeing management there are several challenges for leaders. They need to: have a better understanding of the health metrics; to assess psychosocial factors and co-design interventions at teams’ level; consult experts to help manage the health of their people; and the last and the most important, they need to have an empathetic leadership competence set to positively influence and build a healthy culture.  

There are several stages to help leaders develop a comprehensive wellbeing strategy: 1) understand what the workforce requires to improve their wellbeing, not just by surveys, but with better metrics and cost–benefit analysis 2) understanding what communication channels work for their workforce, 3) understand how to engage with people to ensure they really make use of the benefits and programs available, 4) conduct ongoing auditing usage and outputs of the benefits, and finally 5) define tracking measures and metrics to make visible the real improvements and results achieved concerning the health and wellbeing of the workforce.  

Most of the benefits target generic individual level wellbeing or health solutions, and they are not really the key drivers of health and wellbeing in the organisation, as such benefits quickly become hygienic factors. Many organisations offer wellness benefits, such as yoga, well-being days/weeks, and training on stress management, but these are just individual-level interventions that solve symptoms, rather than address the source of the problems. 

 High rates of stress, burnout and absenteeism are warning signs that the organisation, not the individuals, needs to undertake significant changes and improvements. The critical role of the workplace management in reducing stress and burnout and supporting mental health and wellbeing is being underestimated and not covered by the typical benefits package, organisations should take a systemic approach to improve wellbeing by tackling organisational systems, processes, and incentives to redesign work and team environments.  

To increasingly align the organisation’s responses to real needs of their people, it is important to ensure that organisations listen to the needs of their people, re-design work and leadership, leading visible gains in productivity and performance. This process implies communication with people, dedicating time and attention to them, leading to smaller gap or no gap at all in the benefit and employer value proposition. Hence, it is important for organisations to regularly assess and tailor their well-being programs to the specific needs and preferences and ensure their effectiveness and impact. Also, it is necessary to train and support HR professionals and Leaders to promote engagement and use of these programs effectively. The emphasis should be not only giving the workforce the tools, they need, but also ensuring they know how to access and used them. 

Promoting wellbeing programs is in the best interest of organisations, they should seek innovation, customisation, personalisation and continuous evaluation of the use, accuracy, and impact of the benefits that they offer to their people. The common mantra we hear often “we’ve got it all” will no longer work. Wellbeing benefits programs need to reflect the current work challenges, the organisation identity and culture and should not be added because they aligned with a popular talent retention trend. This is an ongoing organisational process of learning and adjustment that will make the difference overall, with tangible business performance results and significant impact in the attraction and development of the most valuable talent. 

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