Tracy Daggett is a training specialist at the Manufacturer & Business Association. Contact him at 814/833-3200, 800/815-2660 or email tdaggett@mbausa.org.
A recent Gallup study reports that approximately 51 percent of U.S. workers are either actively looking for a new job or keeping an eye out for openings. Some say it’s a people or a hiring problem, others chalk it up to the natural employee lifecycle. An investment in the well-being of your employees as individuals is an investment in the company itself. Here are three examples of how wellness can turn your company around:
1. Morale – It’s not a leap to suggest that the way an employee feels about their job directly impacts how they perform on the job. Around 70 percent of U.S. workers report not being engaged at work and about seven out of 10 of them aren’t being utilized to their full potential.
Wellness initiatives can strengthen the commitment of the individual to the company. Employees who feel cared for are likely to match that feeling in commitment to the company – not to mention engaged employees perform 20 percent better than their counterparts.
2. Relationships – Another Gallup study referenced that about 20 percent of U.S. workers report having a best friend at work, which in itself isn’t that interesting. If employers could get that number up to 60 percent, the study argues that the resulting bonds would influence higher customer satisfaction and a 12-percent increase in profits!
Your employees will carry a greater sense of responsibility and purpose because they won’t perceive their work as only impacting them as an individual, but how it impacts the team and company, as well. Offering activities that bring your team together can help foster closer relationships.
3. Culture – A commitment to wellness is a commitment to building a strong workplace culture, and it follows that caring for your team means caring for your business. A strong workplace culture impacts more than just your employees. Culture seeps out into the interactions employees have with customers, partners and the community.
Your company’s biggest asset is the people that have bought into the company’s mission. Ignoring the needs of the people that keep the ship afloat is dangerous and might leave you treading in dangerous waters.
For more information on employee engagement, view the MBA’s upcoming training courses at www.mbausa.org.
