Many organisations may take pride in being called a good employers. But even with the best of intentions, companies could be hurting their employees’ health and well-being. Be it due to the way work is organised or just the working conditions, several factors may result in hampering your employees’ good health.

While there are organisations that are supporting their people through short-term wellness initiatives like sound baths, energy consultations and meditation, the question remains what are the feasible ways to redesign work to support well-being and yield long-term benefits to the organisation? 

Be it the challenge of improving workplace culture or the responsibility of providing employees with better work-life balance, the onus falls on HR leaders to implement new practices. During the People Matters Think Tank session, HR leaders including Shilpa Narang Jerath, Chief HR Officer, OPPO India, Pankaj Mittal, Senior Vice President, CHRO Asia Pacific, American Tower, Shobha Ratna, Head, HR and Training, Aditya Birla Sunlife Insurance Co. Ltd, Nupur Nagpal, CHRO, Myntra and Simran Thapar, Associate Director HR, Carrier India, were able to outline five factors crucial for a positive and healthy employee experience.

1 - Finding The Balance 

A healthy balance between work and personal life may mean different things to all. It’s not so much about splitting your time 50/50 between work and leisure, but making sure you feel fulfilled and content in both areas of your life. Nupur Nagpal, who is CHRO at Myntra, lives by this mantra. 

“Work has entered homes of people and there's nothing called personnel anymore. So finding that space where one can have the flexibility to meet professional and personal goals is significant. Well-being is not any more investment, but it's a skill. If the skill is not invested in now, as an organisation, you will continue to have people, who you will keep leaving you,” said Nagpal. 

2- Building Employee Resilience

In every organisation, we have that one employee, who’s always crushing deadlines and exceeding role expectations. So, why is it that some people flourish when they’re faced with challenges while others crumble under the stress of it all? 

Simran Thapar, the Associate Director HR of Carrier India, believes resilience brings the difference. “In the workplace, resilience improves employee satisfaction, morale, organisational commitment and productivity,” said Thapar.  

3- Get A Sense Of Purpose For The Employee

It should come as no surprise that a sense of purpose is integral to any successful work environment. After all, if employees embrace a purpose-driven mindset, they are more likely to be engaged, resulting in overall levels of job satisfaction. For Pankaj Mittal, who is the Senior Vice President and CHRO Asia Pacific at American Tower, purpose and meaning are the most crucial factors for the success of a workplace.

“What companies should do is get a sense of commitment or a sense of purpose for the employee. If the person believes that what he or she is going for is actually helping the larger group, they will become more resilient and will feel proud about their work,” shared Mittal.  

4- Good Leaders Take Good Care of Themselves

As a leader, you're tasked with ensuring that everything gets done in your business. That means self-care can often take a backseat to your duties. However, according to Shilpa Narang Jerath, who is the Chief HR Officer at OPPO India, a leader can't take care of his or her employees, if they are not taking care of themselves. 

“Leaders are also human beings. They have to take care of themselves first, which means managing their own well-being to form a resilient team. The truth is that if you don't invest time and energy into self-care and don't follow any well-being tips, you won't be able to do your best work or achieve your goals,” explained Jerath. 

5 - Stop Asking For ROI! 

The return on investment (ROI) related to employee wellness includes the overall health care cost savings achieved, as well as the increment in productivity due to a reduction in sick days taken by employees. Shobha Ratna, Head, HR and Training at Aditya Birla Sunlife Insurance, is a firm believer that though ROI is a logical metric to track, it may not be feasible with respect to the wellness of employees.

“In recent years, demand for employer-sponsored wellness programs has grown. But, leaders need to stop asking for ROI, because the well-being and satisfaction of the employees you will only see over a period of time. In fact, asking for ROIs just increase pressure and makes the leaders do the wrong thing,” said Ratna. 

Watch the full video of the Think Tank session here.

This year, the People Matters Unconference track hosted Think Tank, where CHROs tackled present-day most pressing people and work dilemmas. From work models to redefining employer brand for new gen, to efficiency and effectiveness of Tech Stack, finding solutions was the top priority at the People Matters Tech HR India Think Tank session.