If wellbeing is on your agenda, perhaps even in part – such as tying in financial wellbeing into your reward conversations, you’ll benefit from reading on and taking away our tips on how to create a healthy communications strategy around this.
When the pandemic first hit, there was a noticeable rush to do more to support all aspects of the health of employees, offering tools and resources to help them. Lockdowns hit many mentally, emotionally, financially, physically and socially – so, more holistic approaches arose. More recently, there has been time to pause and reflect on how best to keep that momentum – and of course internal communications has an important role to play!
As internal communications specialists, we find ourselves working with more and more brands on articulating their wellbeing plans and communication campaigns, in ways that engage everyone across the business – so leaders are clear on their roles, and employees know exactly what’s on offer to support their overall health.
If the buzz on platforms like LinkedIn is anything to go by, it’s clear more companies than ever are putting employee wellbeing high on their list of priorities now and for the coming year.
Mental health has been front and centre – and rightly so as it’s our minds that drive our appetite to be physically, financially and socially well too. So, with World Mental Health Day still on the mind from Sunday, it’s timely for us to set out our five top tips on creating a communications plan that is fit for purpose:
1. Lay the foundations
Wellbeing programmes, and what they offer, tend to vary from sector to sector, as different workforce demographics have different needs – so be sure you set out a breakdown of your colleague demographics, their typical wellbeing challenges, needs and wants, so you can set key messaging around this. Be clear about your goals and then you’re ready to look at tools.
2. Build the tools
The cornerstone to any successful wellbeing initiative is a solid wellbeing toolkit, that gives leaders and managers the ability to support their teams in all areas of their wellbeing. Toolkits often include:
- A concise briefing note to clearly explain the wellbeing goals and their role to play
- Tools and resources that educate and empower leaders and managers
- Shareable content and assets to help raise awareness as to what’s in place.
A good toolkit brings your leaders and managers fully onboard, which empowers them to communicate to their team with confidence.
3. Pick your channels
Companies that excel at wellbeing often have internal communication channels devoted to it – hubs or community spaces where employees can download, interact with and benefit from content to support them with their health and wellbeing.
Some find their intranet platform is a great space for this, others develop dedicated microsites or apps or choose an off-the-shelf option. The key here is to ensure everyone has easy access to resources as and when they need them, 24/7.
4. Factor in the power of psychology
Make sure there is focus on the psychological aspects – we all need to be able to identify and visualise where we’d like each aspect of our wellbeing to be in the future and why – without providing exercises to reach this, content about specific topics won’t resonate and have anything to anchor to.
So, for example, if you promote a savings or share plan which will help employees financially over the long-term, they are more likely to get involved if they are first given the opportunity to map out what they would be saving for, why and key milestones. It gives clarity and focus to take action.
5. Keep up momentum
A wellbeing programme or initiative can only truly thrive if employees remain active and engaged – not just with what’s on offer but in having a say in how the programme develops and evolves – after all, they are the ones it’s designed for.
A great way to involve them is by carrying out regular surveys or inviting them to attend focus groups dedicated to delivering ideas and feedback that can be carried forward. When people feel involved, it increases their motivation, boosts morale and helps them feel valued and listened to – all important for building a healthy culture which in itself has strong links with employee wellbeing.
Need some help?
Whether it’s creating a healthy wellbeing communications plan or scoping ways to connect an aspect of wellbeing into a specific topic, come and chat to us – we love looking at the bigger picture and connecting the dots when it comes to wellbeing – after all, it can positively impact so many lives and communication is key to achieving this.
