By: Orlando Mejía *
The work environment evolves as new generations join it. And it is that in terms of priorities when deciding to collaborate in an organization, for young workers, wages, benefits and recognition are still important, but it is also important to have a better balance between their personal and professional life, as well as being part of a company that favors equity, ethics and social responsibility.
In recent years, organizations have been integrating this vision in order to offer their talent the well-being they aspire to – physical, mental and financial – and achieve better individual and organizational performance, as well as promote a greater sense of belonging.
In a recent survey on human capital, 80% of the participants considered well-being as an important or very important priority for the success of their company. In fact, the global corporate wellness market is projected to grow rapidly: from $ 53.6 billion in 2018 to $ 90.7 billion in 2026.
There are good reasons to invest in this area, as it is considered to promote improvements in the workforce experience, market reputation, customer experience, finances, innovation and adaptability.
In practice, the wellness strategies that are being implemented, according to the aforementioned survey, focus mainly on the physical, mental and financial health of employees (34%), managing their occupational safety (15%), and integrating wellness in the design of the work (21%).
In this last area, adjustments are made in how, where, when the work is done and by whom. That is, the work is structured in such a way that performance does not depend on a single person, allowing other colleagues and leaders to do it as well.
This could give employees greater control over the time and place in which they work, so that they can work where they feel most productive. Furthermore, they are given access to additional human or material resources in conditions where there are more stressors, physical or mental, that could compromise their individual performance or that of their team.
On the other hand, employees are offered more autonomy in how they perform their work, the use of technology to promote connectivity and collaboration, flexible hours and options for working remotely, among other tactics.
To expedite this process, it is suggested to start with a group that has a greater capacity to influence the design of the work and whose results can be used as a reference for the rest. It is also important to understand the well-being needs of the workforce, starting with the organizational and human resource data available to them.
Finally, it is essential to implement processes to engage employees in discussions, recognizing that the more individuals participate in the process, the greater the chances that the changes will have a possible and longer-term impact.
Incorporating well-being into the new era of work is an initiative that can generate immediate productivity benefits, develop greater resilience among employees, and increase organizational performance. It also creates the enabling environment to strike a balance between work and personal life to which today’s workers aspire.
Contact:
Lead Partner of Organizational Transformation for Latin America in Consulting, Deloitte México
The opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
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